Epidemiologists: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Epidemiologists fall under the Life, Physical, and Social Science category in the U.S. occupational classification. Epidemiologists earn a median salary of $83,980 per year, ranking in the top 21% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +16.2% job growth through 2034, projected to grow far faster than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do epidemiologists earn?

The median annual wage for epidemiologists is $83,980. That puts epidemiologists at #170 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is epidemiologists a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for epidemiologists is +16.2%, projected to grow far faster than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 12K positions in 2024 to 14K in 2034, a net change of 2K. Very fast growth indicates significant talent shortages and unusually strong hiring momentum — often the most resilient outlook a teenager can plan toward.

What do epidemiologists do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working epidemiologists, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Educate healthcare workers, patients, and the public about infectious and communicable diseases, including disease transmission and prevention.
2. 2.Identify and analyze public health issues related to foodborne parasitic diseases and their impact on public policies, scientific studies, or surveys.
3. 3.Write grant applications to fund epidemiologic research.
4. 4.Plan, administer and evaluate health safety standards and programs to improve public health, conferring with health department, industry personnel, physicians, and others.
5. 5.Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings.
6. 6.Investigate diseases or parasites to determine cause and risk factors, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission.
7. 7.Provide expertise in the design, management and evaluation of study protocols and health status questionnaires, sample selection, and analysis.
8. 8.Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, government health officials and others regarding medical applications of sciences, such as physics, biology, and chemistry.

Top skills for epidemiologists

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become epidemiologist?

The standard path into epidemiologists begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

Related careers your child might also consider

• Physicists
  $166,290 median
• Political Scientists
  $139,380 median
• Astronomers
  $132,170 median
• Physical Scientists, All Other
  $117,960 median
• Psychologists, All Other
  $117,580 median
• Economists
  $115,440 median

Common questions parents ask about epidemiologists