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Kraena Pre-Health
Career Library

Technical & Diagnostic

Epidemiologist

Studies patterns and causes of disease and injury and designs population-level prevention strategies.

Years after high school

6–10 years

Degree

Master's or doctoral degree

Entrance exam

None or program-specific requirements

Median pay

$81,390 national median (BLS, May 2025).

What the job is actually like

Studies patterns and causes of disease and injury and designs population-level prevention strategies. Typical work is moderate paced with low patient contact, usually in Government, universities, hospitals, laboratories, and industry. Procedure intensity is low to moderate, and schedules are typically described as: Mostly weekday hours with deadline-driven peaks.

The path

  1. 01Complete the typical education pathway: Bachelor's degree and MPH or related master's; doctorate for some roles.
  2. 02Complete any program-specific admissions, clinical, or employer training requirements.
  3. 03Build supervised or role-specific experience for work in Government, universities, hospitals, laboratories, and industry.
  4. 04Meet credentialing or licensure requirements: No universal license.

Good fit if

  • Students whose interests align with epidemiologist work and who are comfortable with the listed training, schedule, and responsibility level.
  • Clear healthcare impact
  • Transferable professional skills

Think twice if

  • Education, scope, compensation, and daily duties vary by state and employer. Verify local requirements and shadow or interview a working epidemiologist before committing.
  • Requirements vary by state and employer
  • Compensation varies by setting

Worth knowing

Career requirements can vary by state, employer, and credentialing body. Use this profile as a planning guide and verify current local requirements before enrolling in a program.

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All salary figures here are median annual wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025 — the most recent full national dataset. 'Median' means half of workers earn more and half earn less. Three things to keep in mind: (1) pay varies enormously by state, city, setting, and experience — a nurse in California and a nurse in rural Alabama earn very different salaries; (2) training lengths are typical, not guaranteed, and programs differ; (3) these numbers change every year. Always verify current figures at bls.gov/ooh before making a decision. For context, the BLS median wage for all U.S. occupations was $50,980, while healthcare practitioner and technical occupations had a median of $86,530 — one of the reasons health care is such a stable field.