Epidemiologists Salary: $115,640 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 11,460 epidemiologists nationally earn a mean of $115,640. Employment in the series shown rose about 32% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 11.1% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Epidemiologists: what the data shows
Common questions about epidemiologists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a epidemiologists?
Epidemiologists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-1041.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 11,460 workers.
What does a epidemiologists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Analyzing Data or Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Processing Information, Working with Computers, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a epidemiologists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $83,980 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $115,640 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $66,910 |
| 25th percentile | $88,491 |
| Median (50th) | $103,139 |
| 75th percentile | $129,887 |
| 90th percentile | $176,839 |
What education do you need?
For Epidemiologists, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making, Writing, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Mathematics, Biology, Medicine and Dentistry, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is epidemiologists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 11.1% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 69.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 186.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 11,460.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do epidemiologistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 11,460 | 17.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 7,200 | 10.8% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 6,490 | 9.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 6,490 | 9.7% |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 4,360 | 6.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 4,260 | 6.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Epidemiologists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Epidemiologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
11,460 Workforce in 2023
The Epidemiologists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Epidemiologists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$115,640 Average Wage
In 2023, Epidemiologists earned an average of $115,640.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Epidemiologists.
Salary distribution for Epidemiologists.
Employment Growth Projections
11.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
10,061 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 69.4%
17,042 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 186.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 11.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Epidemiologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Epidemiologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Epidemiologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Epidemiologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
7.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -11.4% growth (Current: $148,014)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Epidemiologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Epidemiologists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,590 employees, $112,580 avg wage
- WA: 960 employees, $105,180 avg wage
- TX: 940 employees, $96,120 avg wage
- CO: 620 employees, $83,870 avg wage
- GA: 610 employees, $74,420 avg wage
- MA: 470 employees, $113,860 avg wage
- NY: 460 employees, $104,640 avg wage
- MD: 440 employees, $98,860 avg wage
- PA: 400 employees, $90,700 avg wage
- FL: 330 employees, $82,910 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Epidemiologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 530 employees, $108,930 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 510 employees, $99,200 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 480 employees, $106,130 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 440 employees, $75,360 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 430 employees, $82,240 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 420 employees, $114,540 avg wage
- Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA: 330 employees, $103,180 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 310 employees, $136,460 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 280 employees, N/A avg wage
- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 270 employees, $98,950 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Epidemiologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Epidemiologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Epidemiologists in 2023 was 11,460 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Epidemiologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Epidemiologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Epidemiologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Epidemiologists in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Business.
Common majors for Epidemiologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Epidemiologists workers.
Education level distribution for Epidemiologists.
Skills
Epidemiologists need many skills, but most especially Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making, Writing.
Required skills for Epidemiologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Epidemiologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Epidemiologists include Mathematics, Biology, Medicine and Dentistry, English Language, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Epidemiologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Epidemiologists include Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Epidemiologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Epidemiologists.
Daily Activities
Epidemiologists spend their time on activities such as Analyzing Data or Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Processing Information, Working with Computers.
Most important work activities for Epidemiologists.
About
Epidemiologists
The average yearly wage for Epidemiologists was $115,640 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-1041 - Epidemiologists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Epidemiologists reports an average salary of $115,640, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 11,460 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 11.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.