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The national median salary for Epidemiologists is $83,990 per year ($40.38/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $68,037 and $106,038 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $134,867 per year. There are approximately 11,460 epidemiologists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+16.2%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
800
per year, on avg
Workforce today
12K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
25% from new growth75% from people leaving the role
Mixed: openings come from both new growth and people exiting the role.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
4K
$79,640
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
3K
$76,180
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
1K
$99,690
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
740
$82,500
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
640
$130,390
Wage range across top 5 industries: $76,180 to $130,390 (71% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$27.38
$56,950
P25
$32.71
$68,037
P50MEDIAN
$40.38
$83,990
P75
$50.98
$106,038
P90
$64.84
$134,867
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average epidemiologists salary?
The national median salary for Epidemiologists is $83,990 per year ($40.38/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $68,037 and $106,038 annually.
How much do top-earning epidemiologists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Epidemiologists is $134,867 per year ($64.84/hr). The 75th percentile is $106,038 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for epidemiologists?
Entry-level Epidemiologists (10th percentile) earn approximately $56,950 per year ($27.38/hr). The 25th percentile is $68,037 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.