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Epidemiologists
Investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.
Other titles employers use
Chronic Disease Epidemiologist · Communicable Diseases Specialist · Environmental Epidemiologist · Epidemiologist · Epidemiology Investigator · Infection Control Practitioner (ICP) · Nurse Epidemiologist · Public Health Epidemiologist
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to analytical, helping and organizing work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Listening
- Writing
Subjects to know
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Inductive Reasoning
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 2.7 | Largely your own space |
| On your feet | 2.3 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 1.9 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a master's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A master's degree 67%
- A doctorate or professional degree 33%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Analytical or scientific software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Object or component oriented development software
- Map creation software
- Web page creation and editing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 1,500
- Job openings each year
- 100
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 25.0%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1,500 | 100 | 25.0% |
| Texas | 970 | 60 | 26.0% |
| Colorado | 940 | 70 | 51.6% |
| Washington | 780 | 70 | 34.5% |
| Maryland | 670 | 50 | 34.0% |
| Georgia | 510 | 40 | 34.2% |
| Minnesota | 370 | 30 | 42.3% |
| Virginia | 360 | 30 | 33.3% |
| Florida | 330 | 20 | 17.9% |
| Tennessee | 330 | 20 | 43.5% |
| Ohio | 320 | 20 | 23.1% |
| Massachusetts | 310 | 20 | 34.8% |
| Michigan | 300 | 20 | 25.0% |
| Illinois | 270 | 20 | 12.5% |
| Utah | 230 | 20 | 43.8% |
| Louisiana | 200 | 20 | 33.3% |
| New Jersey | 190 | 10 | 26.7% |
| Oklahoma | 190 | 10 | 18.8% |
| Arizona | 160 | 10 | 33.3% |
| Indiana | 160 | 10 | 23.1% |
| North Carolina | 160 | 10 | 33.3% |
| New Mexico | 150 | 10 | 36.4% |
| Missouri | 140 | 10 | 27.3% |
| Mississippi | 130 | 10 | 30.0% |
| Iowa | 110 | 10 | 37.5% |
| West Virginia | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Nebraska | 100 | 10 | 25.0% |
| District of Columbia | 90 | 10 | 28.6% |
| Rhode Island | 90 | 10 | 28.6% |
| Montana | 80 | 10 | 60.0% |
| Puerto Rico | 80 | 10 | 14.3% |
| Kansas | 70 | 10 | 40.0% |
| Wisconsin | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
| Alaska | 60 | 0 | 20.0% |
| South Carolina | 60 | 10 | 20.0% |
| Nevada | 50 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Idaho | 30 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Maine | 30 | 0 | — |
| New Hampshire | 30 | 0 | 50.0% |
| North Dakota | 20 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
University of California-San Diego
- Degrees each year
- 1,275
- Admit rate
- 25%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of California-Berkeley
- Degrees each year
- 1,021
- Admit rate
- 12%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
- Degrees each year
- 614
- Admit rate
- 43%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
University of Maryland-College Park
- Degrees each year
- 517
- Admit rate
- 45%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
- Degrees each year
- 555
- Admit rate
- 65%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
Brigham Young University
- Degrees each year
- 395
- Admit rate
- 69%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
University of Colorado Boulder
- Degrees each year
- 340
- Admit rate
- 83%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
University of South Carolina-Columbia
- Degrees each year
- 481
- Admit rate
- 61%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Compare every college offering ecology, evolution, systematics, and population biology