Epidemiologists: Career Overview
Investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.
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What Tasks Do Epidemiologists Do?
The core tasks performed by epidemiologists cover:
- Communicate research findings on various types of diseases to health practitioners, policy makers, and the public.
- Oversee public health programs, including statistical analysis, health care planning, surveillance systems, and public health improvement.
- Investigate diseases or parasites to determine cause and risk factors, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission.
- Educate healthcare workers, patients, and the public about infectious and communicable diseases, including disease transmission and prevention.
- Monitor and report incidents of infectious diseases to local and state health agencies.
- Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Provide expertise in the design, management and evaluation of study protocols and health status questionnaires, sample selection, and analysis.
- Write articles for publication in professional journals.
What Epidemiologists Need to Know
Successful epidemiologists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Epidemiologists Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Chronic Disease Epidemiologist
- Clinical Epidemiologist
- Clinical Lab Scientist (Clinical Laboratory Scientist)
- Clinical Researcher
- Communicable Diseases Specialist
- Environmental Epidemiologist
- Epidemiologist
- Epidemiologist Researcher
Job Outlook
There are roughly 184,821 epidemiologists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +3.2% over the projection horizon.
Epidemiologists Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $87,636 |
| Hourly median | $42.13 |
| 10th percentile | $48,988 |
| 25th percentile | $68,312 |
| 75th percentile | $106,960 |
| 90th percentile | $126,284 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $110,240 |
| Massachusetts | $104,920 |
| Rhode Island | $100,820 |
| California | $100,410 |
| Washington | $99,930 |
| Minnesota | $99,360 |
| Illinois | $99,220 |
| District of Columbia | $98,340 |
| Tennessee | $96,910 |
| Maryland | $94,460 |
| New York | $89,700 |
| Oregon | $89,220 |
| Connecticut | $85,190 |
| Virginia | $84,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $83,800 |
| Wisconsin | $82,620 |
| North Carolina | $82,430 |
| Michigan | $81,680 |
| Nevada | $81,550 |
| New Mexico | $81,120 |
| South Carolina | $80,730 |
| Iowa | $80,300 |
| Indiana | $77,530 |
| Texas | $76,420 |
| Florida | $76,300 |
| Nebraska | $73,800 |
| Colorado | $73,340 |
| Ohio | $72,950 |
| Alabama | $72,830 |
| Utah | $72,160 |
| Hawaii | $71,270 |
| Kentucky | $70,140 |
| Kansas | $69,760 |
| Arizona | $69,300 |
| Georgia | $68,160 |
| Montana | $67,830 |
| West Virginia | $65,490 |
| Missouri | $64,810 |
| Oklahoma | $61,590 |
| Louisiana | $59,810 |
| Mississippi | $58,490 |
| Puerto Rico | $49,820 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for epidemiologists shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $98,756 | 25.2% | 2.01 |
| New England | $94,594 | 6.7% | 1.66 |
| Middle Atlantic | $90,127 | 12.7% | 1.29 |
| Plains States | $83,623 | 5.4% | 0.93 |
| Great Lakes | $82,233 | 8.5% | 0.61 |
| Southeast | $75,631 | 19.1% | 1.05 |
| Southwest | $73,657 | 13.3% | 1.04 |
| Rocky Mountains | $72,341 | 8.4% | 2.66 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | NC | $139,670 | 40 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | NY | $130,620 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $126,390 | 310 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $106,660 | 240 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $104,920 | 420 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $102,920 | 480 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | WA | $102,530 | 330 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $101,510 | 260 |
Top Industries Employing Epidemiologists
Most epidemiologists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,730 | $96,660 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,170 | $108,030 |
| Educational Services | 740 | $82,500 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 690 | $86,310 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 260 | n/a |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 240 | n/a |
| Manufacturing | 100 | $113,530 |
Epidemiologists work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Map creation software: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Python (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: R (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: SAS (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of epidemiologists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level epidemiologists positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Clinical Research Coordinators (Supplemental)
- Health Informatics Specialists (Supplemental)
- Microbiologists (Primary-Long)
- Geneticists (Primary-Short)
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (Primary-Short)
- Neuropsychologists (Primary-Long)
- Clinical Neuropsychologists (Primary-Long)
- Health Education Specialists (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for epidemiologists typically earn programs in:
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
4 programs across 3 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
2 programs across 2 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-1041.00 (Epidemiologists).
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