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What is a medical epidemiologist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Oliver Beckers
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a medical epidemiologist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $27.39 an hour? That's $56,977 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 26% and produce 2,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a medical epidemiologist?

Oliver Beckers

Associate Professor, Murray State University

Some jobs require a graduate degree (e.g., M.S. or Ph.D.), while others do not, and the college graduate will need to make the decision whether it is worth pursuing such a degree or not. Even though a graduate degree might not be required to apply for the advertised position, it may facilitate promotion to other positions in the company or area of work, i.e., it will help in the long run. Note that it will be more difficult to work on a graduate degree after joining the workforce than doing it before.
I would also recommend the graduate to choose a position that truly excites them and motivates them to work. However, I think that being too selective about the position and waiting for the 'dream job' coming along is likely not a good approach either, because it limits the possibilities to get started in the chosen profession. Evaluating the position in the context of opportunities within the company such as opportunities for promotion, training and professional development should be part of the decision process. Understanding the true potential of the position in the context of the company might make the advertised position more exciting for professional long-term goals. I suggest applying to multiple positions that are within the comfort zone of the graduate in order to have more options from which to choose. The only job that you definitely will not get is the one for which you didn't apply.
ScoreMedical EpidemiologistUS Average
Salary
4.5

Avg. Salary $56,977

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.0

Growth rate 26%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.14%

Asian 27.95%

Black or African American 4.60%

Hispanic or Latino 7.38%

Unknown 3.55%

White 56.38%

Gender

female 33.33%

male 66.67%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
5.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a medical epidemiologist

  1. Explore medical epidemiologist education requirements

    Most common medical epidemiologist degrees

    Master's

    44.4 %

    Bachelor's

    22.2 %

    Doctorate

    11.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific medical epidemiologist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Public Health58.94%
    Infection Prevention18.76%
    SAS10.55%
    Disease Surveillance5.97%
    Data Collection5.78%
  3. Research medical epidemiologist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage chronic diseases including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypothyroidism, hyperlipidemia, etc.
    • Establish data sharing and instigates communication with various agencies, programs and organizations to disseminate the information gather by the registry.
    • Gain experience in diagnosing and treating people with upper respiratory illnesses, musculoskeletal conditions, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
  4. Apply for medical epidemiologist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a medical epidemiologist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first medical epidemiologist job

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Average medical epidemiologist salary

The average medical epidemiologist salary in the United States is $56,977 per year or $27 per hour. Medical epidemiologist salaries range between $26,000 and $122,000 per year.

Average medical epidemiologist salary
$56,977 Yearly
$27.39 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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