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Epidemiologist Salary in the United States

How much does an Epidemiologist make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Epidemiologist in the United States is $93,136 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $45.

However, an Epidemiologist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $117,767
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $86,184 to $106,029
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $79,855
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Epidemiologist Salaries

An Epidemiologist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Epidemiologist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Epidemiologist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $90,023
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $90,542
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,580
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $93,136
  • Expert (over 8 years): $97,947
Levels Salary
Entry Level Epidemiologist$90,023
Intermediate Level Epidemiologist$90,542
Senior Level Epidemiologist$91,580
Specialist Level Epidemiologist$93,136
Expert Level Epidemiologist$97,947
View as Graph

How Do Epidemiologists Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Epidemiologists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $103,120.
  • California: $102,729.
  • Massachusetts: $101,360.

Top Paying Cities for Epidemiologist

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $117,472
  • San Francisco: $116,186
  • Oakland: $113,738

What Skills Can Increase an Epidemiologist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 17.45% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Data Analysis (Mentioned in 3.53% Job Postings): Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names, and is used in different business, science, and social science domains. In today's business world, data analysis plays a role in making decisions more scientific and helping businesses operate more effectively. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes, while business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation, focusing mainly on business information. In statistical applications, data analysis can be divided into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data while CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical models for predictive forecasting or classification, while text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All of the above are varieties of data analysis.
  • SPSS (Mentioned in 1.61% Job Postings): SPSS stands for “Statistical Package for the Social Sciences”, it is a Windows based program that is used to perform data entry, analysis and to create tables and graphs. Capable of handling large amounts of data and can perform all of the analyses.
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 17.45%
Data Analysis 3.53%
SPSS 1.61%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Epidemiologist's salary.

  • Study Design: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Qualitative Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Study Design $100,587
8%
Consulting $99,656
7%
Qualitative Analysis $98,724
6%
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Epidemiologist Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Epidemiologist salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $105,690. While startup companies pay approximate $89,685.

Epidemiologist Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $89,685
Growth Stage 51~500 $94,774
Established 501~5000 $102,131
Enterprise 5000+ $105,690

Epidemiologist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Epidemiologist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Healthcare and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Epidemiologist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Chemicals typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Epidemiologist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Epidemiologist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$111,763$54.020%
Biotechnology$102,450$49.010%

How Education impacts an Epidemiologist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Epidemiologist enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Epidemiologist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $102,987 and $112,488.

Epidemiologist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Epidemiologist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 33.3%
High School 66.7%
Associates 0.0%
Bachelors 0.0%
Masters 33.3%
Doctorate 66.7%
View as Graph

Epidemiologist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Epidemiologist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$86,184
Average $93,136/year
$106,029
$7,182
Average $7,761/month
$8,836
$1,657
Average $1,791/week
$2,039
$41
Average $45/hour
$51
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $106,029 $8,836 $2,039 $51
Average $93,136 $7,761 $1,791 $45
25th Percentile $86,184 $7,182 $1,657 $41

Epidemiologist Salary Growth & Career Path

Epidemiologist

Next Role

Advancement

Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings. As an Epidemiologist, you have the following paths for advancement. The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles. By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.

Next Step Role Estimate Salary Projected Raise
Infection Control Manager $124,515 34%
Operating Room Supervisor $110,122 18%
Patient Relations Manager $88,847 -5%

Most common benefits for Epidemiologist

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Epidemiologist

Here are companies hiring for Epidemiologist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Epidemiologist

1. Where can an Epidemiologist earn the most?

An Epidemiologist's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, an Epidemiologist earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of an Epidemiologist is $117,472.

2. What is the highest pay for Epidemiologist?

The highest pay for Epidemiologist is $117,767.

3. What is the lowest pay for Epidemiologist?

The lowest pay for Epidemiologist is $79,855.

4. What are the responsibilities of Epidemiologist?

Investigates and analyzes the patterns, causes, and effects of diseases and other health problems within a population. Collects, analyzes, and interprets disease data using appropriate statistical and research methods. Develops and implements strategies to prevent and control diseases. Communicates findings to policymakers, health practitioners, and/or the public. Requires a master's degree in public health or related field. Typically reports to a manager. Work is generally independent and collaborative in nature. Contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project. Typically requires 4-7 years of related experience.

5. What industry pays the highest salary for Epidemiologist?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Epidemiologist roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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