All About Epidemiologists

Job Description & Duties Investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.

A Day in the Life of an Epidemiologist

• Investigate diseases or parasites to determine cause and risk factors, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission.
• Standardize drug dosages, methods of immunization, and procedures for manufacture of drugs and medicinal compounds.
• Prepare and analyze samples to study effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, or microorganisms on cell structure and tissue.
• Supervise professional, technical, and clerical personnel.
• Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
• Educate healthcare workers, patients, and the public about infectious and communicable diseases, including disease transmission and prevention.

What Every Epidemiologist Should Know

Epidemiologists state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Other Epidemiologist Job Titles

• Clinical Laboratory Scientist
• Environmental Epidemiologist
• Epidemiologist
• Public Health Microbiologist
• Pharmacoepidemiologist

Is There Going to be Demand for Epidemiologists?

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 6,100 jobs in the United States for Epidemiologists.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.8% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 500 new jobs for Epidemiologists by 2026. The BLS estimates 600 yearly job openings in this field per year.

The states with the most job growth for Epidemiologists are Colorado, Texas, and Massachusetts.

Watch out if you plan on working in Virginia, Oregon, or Oklahoma. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Epidemiologist Salary

The typical yearly salary for Epidemiologists is somewhere between $42,240 and $112,600. An Epidemiologist median salary is $69,660.

How much do Epidemiologists make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
Massachusetts	$107,670
District of Columbia	$106,740
Washington	$102,490
New Jersey	$94,450
California	$92,040
New York	$91,880
Connecticut	$86,250
Illinois	$84,810
Tennessee	$84,560
North Carolina	$82,820
Pennsylvania	$79,690
Wisconsin	$78,250
Maryland	$77,330
Indiana	$74,640
Michigan	$72,820
Minnesota	$71,870
Oregon	$71,470
Texas	$71,320
Ohio	$69,680
Oklahoma	$68,530
New Mexico	$67,130
Virginia	$67,110
Montana	$66,360
Georgia	$64,160
Kansas	$63,820
Arkansas	$62,890
Missouri	$61,110
Colorado	$60,550
Arizona	$59,650
Louisiana	$54,620
Kentucky	$53,560
West Virginia	$51,910
Florida	$44,350

Tools & Technologies Used by Epidemiologists

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Epidemiologists:

• Microsoft Office
• IBM SPSS Statistics
• SAS
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• R
• Microsoft Outlook
• Geographic information system GIS software
• Facebook
• Microsoft Access
• Tableau

Where Epidemiologists Work

You May Also Be Interested In…

Those thinking about becoming Epidemiologists might also be interested in the following careers:

• Physics Postsecondary Professors

Those who work as Epidemiologists sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

• Molecular and Cellular Biologists
• Geneticists

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons