Epidemiology Career
Being A Detective of Public Health
Epidemiologists are commonly referred to as the 'Detectives of Public Health'. The main role of epidemiologists is to investigate patterns and causes of infectious, chronic, and genetic diseases as well as injury in a population. Epidemiologists can specialize in a certain area such as infectious diseases, genetic diseases, chronic illness, or veterinary epidemiology. However, not all epidemiologists have a specialization (Epidemiologist, n.d.).
Epidemiologist Profession Basics
Responsibilities & Work Environment
Common Epidemiologist Responsibilities:
Define populations (groups of interest) (Epidemiologist, 2023)
Evaluate risk factors (Epidemiologist, 2023)
Collect and analyze data from surveys, interviews, clinical studies, case studies, laboratory research (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Use statistical models and data analysis to track disease/injury, assess patterns, and interpret (Epidemiologist, 2023)
Field visits to gain a deeper understanding of the disease/injury cause or the community effects (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Plan, design, pitch research projects (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Present findings with government policy makers, non-profit organizations, and science research institutes (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Write research and funding proposals (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Communicate health information and findings to the public (Epidemiologist, 2023)
Development and testing of health initiatives (Epidemiologist, 2023)
Consult and collaborate with other public health, medical, and science professionals (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Manage professional staff (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Common Employers of Epidemiologists: (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Hospitals
Local Governments
State Governments
Federal Government
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Colleges & Universities
Research and Development Companies
Health Insurance Companies
Non-profit Organizations
Similar Occupations: (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Microbiologist
Survey Researcher
Health Education Specialist
Medical Scientists
Archeologist and Anthropologist
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018). Epidemiologists Career Video. [Video] bls.gov. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/epidemiologists.htm#tab-1
Education & Job Outlook
Minimum Education Level: Masters' Degree (Epidemiologist, n.d.)
Typical Educational Backgrounds: (Epidemiologist, n.d.)
Masters' Degree in Public Health (MPH) with Epidemiology Concentration
Master of Science in Epidemiology
PhD in Epidemiology
Doctoral Degree of Medicine
Job Outlook: 27% growth (2022 to 2023) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
Salary
Average Salary: $78,520 (as of May 2020) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021)
US Epidemiologist Salary Range: $28,000 to $125,000 (Epidemiologist salary, 2023)
States with Highest Epidemiologist Average Salaries: New Jersey, California, Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania (Epidemiologist salary, 2023)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Annual mean wage of epidemiologists, by state, May 2020. [Map] bls.gov. https://www.bls.gov/oes/2020/may/oes191041.htm
Contributions of Epidemiologists
Epidemiologists contribute to the public health field by providing policy makers and other healthcare personnel with information about causes, risk factors, and patterns of disease/injury. Epidemiologists are essential in identifying and tracking exposures and commonalities between affected individuals for the protection of the public. The epidemiologist profession falls under the core public health science of Epidemiology. Epidemiology is the study of causation and patterns of infectious, chronic, or genetic diseases in human populations. It contributes to the public health core function of assessment because it involves the collection and analysis of data for policy makers (Schneider & Schneider, 2017). Further, the epidemiologist profession contributes to the other 5 core sciences of public health: Biostatistics, Biomedical Sciences, Environmental Health Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Health Policy and Management. Analysis and information collection by epidemiologists are given to professionals within these other 5 core sciences as background information to further specialized research (Schneider & Schneider, 2017).
Epidemiologist: Education and career information. Medical and Healthcare. (n.d.). https://medicalandhealthcare.com/professions/veterinary-zoology/epidemiologist-education-and-career-information.html
Epidemiologist salary. Zippia. (2023, September 14). https://www.zippia.com/epidemiologist-jobs/salary/
Epidemiologist. SHRM. (2023, December 21). https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/job-descriptions/epidemiologist
Schneider, M. & Schneider, H. S. (2017). Introduction to public health. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, September 6). Epidemiologists : Occupational outlook handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/epidemiologists.htm#tab-1
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, March 31). Occupational employment and wages. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/2020/may/oes191041.htm