Epidemiologist

What does an epidemiologist do?

• Design studies to find the causes and risk factors of diseases and health problems.
• Collect, clean and analyse health data using statistical software.
• Track trends in infections, chronic diseases and injuries through surveillance systems.
• Investigate disease outbreaks and recommend control measures.
• Evaluate whether vaccines, treatments and public health programmes work.
• Write reports and scientific papers and explain findings to policymakers and the public.
• Advise governments and health services on prevention and planning.

Where do they work?

Epidemiologists work for national and local public health agencies, health ministries, universities and research institutes, hospitals, international organisations and non-governmental organisations. Others work in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, insurance or health data companies. Most work is office- and computer-based, and hybrid working is common, but field epidemiologists may travel at short notice to investigate outbreaks, sometimes in difficult conditions. Workloads can rise sharply during emergencies such as pandemics.

What skills do you need?

• Statistics and data analysis
• Statistical programming, for example in R or Python
• Study design and research methods
• Knowledge of biology and disease
• Critical thinking about evidence
• Clear writing and data visualisation
• Explaining risk to non-specialists
• Working with public health teams

Official skills profile (ESCO)

Essential skills listed for this occupation in ESCO, the European Commission's multilingual classification of skills and occupations.

• take disease prevention measures
• gather experimental data
• apply statistical analysis techniques
• prevent outbreaks of communicable diseases in the community
• apply scientific methods
• report analysis results
• perform scientific research

Essential knowledge: biometrics · scientific research methodology · communicable diseases · project management · epidemiology · public health · preventive medicine · statistics

How do you become an epidemiologist?

Most epidemiologists have a master's degree in epidemiology or public health, usually one to two years, after a first degree in a subject such as medicine, nursing, biology, biomedical science, mathematics, statistics or data science. Research and senior roles often need a PhD. Many doctors, nurses and veterinarians move into epidemiology through postgraduate study. Some countries run field epidemiology training programmes, often around two years, that train staff on the job to investigate outbreaks. Strong statistical skills are essential, so career changers from data roles can do well after a public health master's.

1. Science degree and master's. Most people take a first degree in biology, biomedical science, mathematics, statistics or a related subject, then a master's in epidemiology or public health. Master's programmes often last one year in the UK and much of Europe and two years in the United States and many other countries. A research project or placement helps you get your first job.
2. From medicine or another health profession. Doctors, nurses, veterinarians and pharmacists often move into epidemiology after clinical experience, usually through a master's or specialist public health training. In some countries, doctors can train as public health medicine specialists, which includes epidemiology. Clinical experience helps with outbreak investigation and hospital-based research.
3. Field training or PhD. Some countries and regions run applied field epidemiology training programmes, usually lasting around two years, where you learn by investigating real outbreaks. For academic and senior research roles, a PhD in epidemiology is usually expected. Entry to both is competitive and often requires a master's or relevant work experience.

Degrees that lead to this career

• Medicine

  A medicine degree trains you to diagnose, treat and prevent illness, combining medical science with supervised clinical work in hospitals and communities.

  4 linked careers

• Biology

  A biology degree teaches how living things work, from molecules and cells to whole organisms and ecosystems.

  6 linked careers

• Mathematics

  A mathematics degree develops advanced reasoning and problem-solving through pure mathematics, such as algebra and analysis, and applied areas, such as statistics, modelling and computing.

  6 linked careers

• Data science

  A data science degree teaches how to collect, clean, analyse and learn from data, combining statistics, programming and machine learning with knowledge of real-world problems.

  6 linked careers

• Biomedical science

  A biomedical science degree teaches the biology of human health and disease, and how laboratory tests help doctors diagnose and treat patients.

  6 linked careers

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Do you need a licence to work as an epidemiologist?

Epidemiology is not a licensed profession, so you do not need a licence to work as an epidemiologist. Employers rely on your degrees, skills and experience instead. If you are also a doctor, nurse or veterinarian, you may need to keep your clinical registration for some roles. In some countries, public health specialists from non-medical backgrounds can join a voluntary register, and professional associations offer training and networks.

How much does an epidemiologist earn?

Pay in the United States

• $87,220Median annual wage, May 2025
• $61,270–$138,800Range from the lowest-paid 10% to the highest-paid 10%
• 12.1KPeople employed in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 19-1041, May 2025. National estimates across all industries; excludes the self-employed.

Earnings of Professionals around the world

Most countries do not publish pay for single job titles. The International Labour Organization collects median monthly earnings for broad occupation groups instead. This career belongs to ISCO-08 major group 2, "Professionals". The table covers the whole group, which includes epidemiologist and many other occupations.

Source: ILOSTAT, median monthly earnings of employees, latest year available. PPP$ adjusts for price differences between countries so figures can be compared. "vs all employees" compares the group's median with the median for all occupations in the same country.

Career progression

1. Research assistant or junior epidemiologist
2. Epidemiologist
3. Senior epidemiologist
4. Principal epidemiologist or team leader
5. Head of epidemiology, professor or public health director

Job outlook

The COVID-19 pandemic showed how important epidemiologists are to public health. Demand also comes from the growth of health data, research on chronic diseases, climate-related health risks and monitoring the safety of medicines. However, public health budgets can rise and fall with politics and emergencies, and research jobs often rely on short-term contracts. Strong skills in statistics, programming and data science make you more employable both inside and outside health.

Questions about becoming an epidemiologist

What degree do you need to become an epidemiologist?

Most epidemiologists have a master's degree in epidemiology or public health. Common first degrees include biology, biomedical science, medicine, nursing, mathematics, statistics and data science. A PhD is usually needed for academic research and many senior roles. The most important thing is strong training in statistics and research methods, which you can build during your degrees.

Do you need to be a doctor to be an epidemiologist?

No. Many epidemiologists have a background in science, mathematics or statistics rather than medicine. A medical degree can be useful for some roles, such as leading outbreak response or specialising in public health medicine, but most epidemiology jobs are open to people with a relevant master's or PhD. Doctors, nurses and veterinarians who move into epidemiology bring valuable clinical knowledge.

How long does it take to become an epidemiologist?

Usually four to six years after secondary school. A first degree takes three to four years, and a master's in epidemiology or public health takes one to two years. If you want to lead research, a PhD adds several more years. People who come from medicine or another health profession usually add epidemiology training after their clinical career has started.

Is epidemiology a good career?

It can be rewarding if you enjoy data, research and public health. The work has a clear social purpose, and the skills transfer well to data science, health policy and the pharmaceutical industry. However, many research jobs use short-term contracts, and government roles depend on public funding. Competition is strong for jobs in well-known international organisations.

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Sources

1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — SOC 19-1041, national estimates, May 2025
2. ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation — ISCO-08 major groups, latest year per country
3. European Commission — ESCO occupation profile — ESCO code 2131.4.7

How to cite this page: CourseToJob (2026). How to become an epidemiologist: degrees, skills and salary. https://coursetojob.com/careers/epidemiologist/ (accessed September 26, 2026)

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