---

Epidemiology

Types of Degrees Epidemiology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Epidemiology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	145
Master’s Degree	2,529
Doctor’s Degree	379

What Epidemiology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Epidemiology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Epidemiology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Epidemiology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Epidemiology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Epidemiology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Epidemiology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Epidemiology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio	Computer based training software	—
Medical condition coding software	Medical software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Epidemiology graduates include:

• Infant Care Teacher
• Opticianry Teacher
• Oxygen Therapy Teacher
• Medicine Teacher
• Orthopedics Teacher
• Physical Therapy Teacher
• Dental Hygiene Teacher
• Professor
• Pediatrics Teacher
• Hospital Aides and Assistants Teacher
• Obstetrics Teacher
• Mental Health Aides Teacher
• Clinical Full Professor
• Faculty Member
• Serology Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	38.8%
Doctoral degree	24.1%
Post-doctoral training	19.9%
Bachelor’s degree	10.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.7%
Postsecondary certificate	2.3%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Epidemiology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75.6% of Epidemiology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,307	75.6%
Men	746	24.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Epidemiology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,083	35.5%
Asian	432	14.2%
Hispanic or Latino	322	10.5%
Black or African American	256	8.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.2%
Two or More Races	94	3.1%
Race Unknown	82	2.7%
International Students	773	25.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Epidemiology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Epidemiology 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 Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Epidemiology. 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	7	14
Doctoral (Research)	1	3

^{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 Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Epidemiology 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 and Biostatistics	26.1311
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Population Biology	26.1306
Systematic Biology/Biological Systematics	26.1308
Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology	26.0401

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.