Epidemiologist (Field / Applied)
Investigates patterns and causes of disease in populations, conducting outbreak investigations, surveillance, and applied research to inform public health interventions and policy.
From people doing the work
Day-to-day involves a lot of data, whether it's collecting it in the field during an outbreak, cleaning it up, or running analyses to understand disease trends. There's a constant need to communicate findings clearly to diverse audiences, from fellow scientists to the public, especially during health crises. It's to see your work directly inform public health actions, but it can also be demanding with unpredictable hours during emergencies.
Drawn from APHA, CSTE, CDC EIS Program
Attribution: Composite
Composite · Synthesised from APHA, CSTE, CDC EIS Program
A day in the life of an Epidemiologist (Field / Applied)
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- 55% Team / 45% Solo
- Client facing
- Sometimes
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Moderate-High
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- Hybrid
- Typical work hours
- 42-55
- Stress level
- High
Epidemiologist (Field / Applied) salary, education and outlook at a glance
- Median salary
- $82,000
- Entry-level
- $55,000
- Senior
- $135,000
- Growth by 2033
- 10%
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Moderate
- Salary growth potential
- 145%
- Typical student debt
- High
Skills you need as an Epidemiologist (Field / Applied)
Hard skills
- Outbreak Investigation
- Surveillance Systems
- SAS/R/Stata
- Study Design
- GIS Mapping
- Biostatistics
Soft skills
- Communication
- Analytical Thinking
- Collaboration
- Cultural Sensitivity
- Crisis Management
Technical complexity: High
Tools of the trade
Core tools
- SAS/R/Stata (Software): For statistical analysis and data manipulation in epidemiological studies.
- GIS Mapping Software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS) (Software): To visualize and analyze spatial patterns of disease distribution.
- Epi Info (Software): A public domain software tool for public health practitioners to manage and analyze epidemiological data.
Commonly used
- Microsoft Excel (Software): For basic data organization, cleaning, and preliminary analysis.
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems (Software): To access and extract patient health data for surveillance and outbreak investigations.
- Survey Software (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey) (Software): For designing and deploying questionnaires to collect data from populations.
How to become an Epidemiologist (Field / Applied)
- Minimum education
- Ph.D. or DrPH in Epidemiology; MPH minimum
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 5-5
- Years to senior
- 12-12
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
- Biostatistician: Possesses strong statistical analysis skills, which are foundational for epidemiological research, but may lack field experience.
- Public Health Analyst: Focuses on data analysis and program evaluation within public health, often leading to a deeper specialization in epidemiology.
- Clinical Research Coordinator: Experienced in managing clinical trials and patient data, providing a strong background in research methodologies relevant to epidemiology.
Where you can go from here
- Public Health Director: Leverages epidemiological insights to lead public health initiatives and shape policy at a broader organizational or governmental level.
- Infectious Disease Physician: Combines clinical expertise with an understanding of disease patterns and prevention, often collaborating closely with epidemiologists.
- Health Policy Analyst: Applies epidemiological findings to inform the development and evaluation of health policies and regulations.
Typical progression
- EIS Officer
- Epidemiologist
- Senior Epidemiologist
- State/Chief Epidemiologist
- Director of Epidemiology
Epidemiologist (Field / Applied) job outlook and future demand
- Automation probability
- Low
- AI disruption risk
- Moderate
- Demand trend
- Growing
Job satisfaction as an Epidemiologist (Field / Applied)
- Overall satisfaction
- 7.5/10
- Meaning
- 9.5/10
- Work-life balance
- 5.5/10
- Prestige
- 8.2/10
- Social perception
- Very High
Where practitioners gather
Professional organisations
- American Public Health Association (APHA): A professional organization promoting public health and advocating for policies that improve health outcomes.
- Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE): Represents the interests of applied epidemiologists in states and territories, focusing on public health surveillance and epidemiology.
Conferences
- Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Conference: An annual conference showcasing presentations on critical public health investigations and scientific findings.
Podcasts and media
- Epidemiology Monitor: A newsletter providing news and insights on current epidemiological issues and research.
Reddit communities
- Reddit r/epidemiology: An online community for discussions, questions, and sharing resources related to epidemiology.