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epidemiology and biostatistics

Types of Degrees epidemiology and biostatistics Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing epidemiology and biostatistics have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	132
Doctor’s Degree	19

What epidemiology and biostatistics Majors Need to Know

Coursework for epidemiology and biostatistics emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that epidemiology and biostatistics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in epidemiology and biostatistics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a epidemiology and biostatistics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to epidemiology and biostatistics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, epidemiology and biostatistics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by epidemiology and biostatistics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for epidemiology and biostatistics graduates include:

• Medical Assistant Instructor
• Serology Teacher
• First Aid Teacher
• Health Records Technology Teacher
• Gericare Aide Teacher
• Physiology Teacher
• Clinical Laboratory Aides Teacher
• Pediatrics Teacher
• Hospital Aides and Assistants Teacher
• Otolaryngology Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Anatomy Teacher
• Health and Safety Instructor
• Dermatology Teacher
• Orthopedics Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to epidemiology and biostatistics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	34.0%
Bachelor’s degree	23.2%
Post-doctoral training	16.2%
Doctoral degree	15.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.7%
Postsecondary certificate	3.1%
Some college courses	2.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.4%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in epidemiology and biostatistics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.2% of epidemiology and biostatistics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	106	70.2%
Men	45	29.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of epidemiology and biostatistics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	54	35.8%
Asian	14	9.3%
Hispanic or Latino	12	7.9%
Black or African American	10	6.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.7%
Two or More Races	5	3.3%
Race Unknown	7	4.6%
International Students	47	31.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do epidemiology and biostatistics Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of epidemiology and biostatistics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,645
4 years	$55,280
5 years	$64,232

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,232 — roughly 44% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online epidemiology and biostatistics Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for epidemiology and biostatistics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in epidemiology and biostatistics Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, epidemiology and biostatistics graduates earn a median of $55,280 four years after completion — roughly 45% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	26.13
Aquatic Biology/Limnology	26.1304
Conservation Biology	26.1307
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology	26.1310
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other	26.1399
Ecology	26.1301
Environmental Biology	26.1305
Epidemiology	26.1309
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Population Biology	26.1306
Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics	26.1308
Biostatistics	26.1102

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.