Field guide

How to become an epidemiologist

An epidemiologist studies how diseases spread and who they affect, then uses that evidence to guide public health decisions. Most roles require a master's degree in public health or epidemiology, and research-led posts often want a doctorate.

Median pay (US)
$87,220
Middle 50%
$71,090 to $112,640
Employed (US)
12,090
Usual entry level
Master's degree

What the work looks like

This is data work more than lab work. Expect statistics, study design, surveillance data and explaining uncertain findings to people who need to act on them. Employers include health departments, hospitals, universities and drug companies.

The official O*NET job description lists tasks such as:

  • 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.

The route in

  1. Take any degree with solid statistics, often biology, public health or math.
  2. Do a master's in public health or epidemiology.
  3. Learn R, Python or SAS, because they appear in most job listings.
  4. Take a doctorate if you want to lead studies or teach at a university.
The catch. Government funding drives much of the hiring, so jobs can rise and fall with public budgets.

Pay in the US

The May 2025 national figures for epidemiologists run from $61,270 at the 10th percentile to $138,800 at the 90th, with a median of $87,220 and a mean of $97,890. BLS projects employment growth of 19% over 2025-35 (much faster than average), with about 800 openings a year.

If you do a PhD in this area

In 2025 the median research doctorate recipient in health sciences took 11.0 years from bachelor's degree, 8.7 years from starting graduate school and 5.0 years from starting the doctoral program.

In 2025, of 2,911 research doctorate recipients in health sciences, 1,769 reported a definite postgraduation commitment and 552 of those were postdoctoral study positions in the United States. That is 31.2% of those with a commitment.

In the UK

UK routes commonly go through a master's in public health or epidemiology, and public health specialty training is a separate, competitive scheme.

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Related fields

Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 19-1041, May 2025, national, all industries, retrieved 2026-11-03. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, retrieved 2026-11-03. NSF NCSES, Survey of Earned Doctorates 2025, Table 1-12 (NSF 26-326), retrieved 2026-11-03. NSF NCSES, Survey of Earned Doctorates 2025, Table 6-1 (NSF 26-326), retrieved 2026-11-03. Tasks from the O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA, used under CC BY 4.0.