Epidemiologists employed in the United States typically earn salaries in the range from $39,920 to $103,593 a year including bonuses according to the salary information reported by Payscale.
Epidemiology doctors working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally report earning an annual pay in the range from $84,414 to $115,000 according to Payscale’s salary data.
Based on the salary figures reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 10% of epidemiologists earn $108,320 or more annually.
The 10% of epidemiology specialists on the lower end of the pay scale report earning an income of up to $42,620 a year.
The middle 50% of epidemiologists report earning a yearly salary in the range from $51,230 to $84,100.
Salary range
Epidemiologists working in the U.S. generally make between $64,000 and $96,000 a year according to the data reported by Recruiter.com. Epidemiologists’ salaries depend on a number of different factors, including work experience. Epidemiology specialists with 1 to 4 years of experience typically earn an income in the range from $38,121 to $73,690 a year, and those with 5 to 9 years of experience are paid between $56,834 and $108,807 annually.
Epidemiologists with 10 to 19 years of experience generally earn an annual salary in the range from $35,000 to $114,965, and professionals with 20 or more years of work experience under their belt report earning an annual pay in the range from $53,582 to $315,114 according to Payscale’s salary statistics.
Image: Center for Diseases Control and Prevention
Epidemiologists employed by the government make between $46,773 and $97,313 a year, and those working in medical research are paid between $49,910 and $95,948 annually. Professionals working in the pharmaceuticals industry earn an annual pay in the range from $79,000 to $120,000, and those working in pharmaceutical research and development make between $59,000 and $112,341 a year according to Payscale.
Women generally earn between $40,337 and $100,731 a year, and men are typically paid between $44,214 and $126,898 a year.
Academic qualifications are another factor that can affect an epidemiologist’s annual salary. Professionals with a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology generally earn salaries in the range from $39,641 to $89,026 a year, and those with a Doctorate (PhD) are typically paid between $60,016 and $137,020 annually.
Epidemiologists with a Doctorate (PhD) in Epidemiology earn between $65,861 and $320,556 a year, those with a Master of Science in Epidemiology are paid between $62,397 and $72,258 annually, and professionals with a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Public Health (PH) generally report earning an annual pay in the range from $44,295 to $75,874 according to the salary data provided by Payscale.
Starting salary
The starting salary for epidemiologists in their first year of practice is generally in the range from $33,724 to $66,977 a year according to the salary data reported by Payscale.
Average salary
The average salary for epidemiologists working in the United States is $61,458 a year based on Payscale’s salary data, $$83,856 a year according to Salary.com, and $84,000 according to HealthcareWorkerSalary.com.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean annual salary of $71,400 and a median yearly wage of $65,270 for this occupation.
Based on the data provided by Salary.com, 10% of the best paid epidemiologists earn $102,058 a year or more, while the 10% on the lower end of the scale earn an annual pay of up to $64,618. The middle 50% earn salaries in the range from $73,786 to $93,383 a year.
Epidemiologists’ average salary can vary considerably from industry to industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the top paying industries for this profession are scientific research and development services, where epidemiologists earn an average yearly pay of $98,510, followed by insurance carriers, with an average salary of $81,540 a year, and general medical and surgical hospitals, where these professionals earn around $80,120 annually. Epidemiologists working at outpatient care centers are paid around $79,360 a year, and those employed at specialty hospitals (not including psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals) earn $79,320 a year on average.
Epidemiologists working for the state government earn $61,850 a year on average, and those employed by the local government are typically paid around $62,380 annually. Professionals employed by universities, colleges, and professional schools earn a median yearly income of $69,870, according to the BLS.
Salary by state
Epidemiologists’ annual salaries depend on geographical location, and can vary significantly from state to state. Professionals working in Georgia typically earn between $41,642 and $122,554 a year, those based in California are paid between $33,772 and $101,313 annually, and epidemiology doctors employed in Massachusetts earn an annual income in the range from $43,631 to $116,968 according to the salary data reported by Payscale.
Epidemiologists employed in New York make between $44,000 and $100,000 annually, and those working in Maryland are typically paid between $42,574 and $138,086 a year. Professionals based in Illinois earn between $30,201 and $104,661 annually and those working in Texas are paid between $31,627 and $69,750 a year according to Payscale.
The states with the highest salaries for this occupation, as reported by Recruiter.com, are Connecticut, where these professionals earn $75,820 a year on average, New Jersey, where the median yearly salary for this profession is $75,620, and District of Columbia, where epidemiologists make $75,300 a year on average. Epidemiology doctors working in Pennsylvania earn around $75,270 a year, those based in California make $74,540 a year on average, professionals working in Massachusetts are paid around $73,240 annually, and those employed in North Carolina earn a median annual salary of $73,190.
The states with the lowest average salaries for epidemiologists are Mississippi ($37,050), Arizona ($48,220), Missouri ($50,600), West Virginia ($50,680), Kentucky ($52,850), and Texas ($53,910) according to Recruiter.com.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the highest salaries for this occupation are in Massachusetts ($96,120), California ($81,380), Nevada (79,620), North Carolina ($79,500), and Connecticut ($79,280).
Epidemiologists working in Maryland make $72,610 a year on average, those working in Washington are paid $75,510 a year on average, and professionals employed in West Virginia earn an average annual salary of $56,200. Epidemiology doctors working in Kentucky are paid around $50,280 a year, and those based in Texas earn a median yearly income of $60,410 according to the BLS.
Salary by city
Epidemiologists’ salaries can also vary from city to city. Epidemiology doctors based in New York typically report earning salaries in the range from $40,851 to $107,659 a year, those employed in Atlanta are usually paid between $42,936 and $124,800 annually, and professionals working in Boston earn between $40,547 and $118,928 a year.
Epidemiologists working in Washington make between $47,500 and $66,242 a year, and those employed in Austin are paid between $52,161 and $68,469 annually. Professionals based in San Francisco earn salaries in the range from $50,000 to $81,389 a year, and those working in Oklahoma City are typically paid between $37,673 and $62,568 a year according to Payscale.
Hourly wage
The hourly rate for epidemiologists varies depending on a wide range of factors, including years of work experience. For example, professionals with 1 to 4 years of experience typically make between $21.62 and $40.87 per hour, and epidemiology doctors with 5 to 9 years of experience generally earn between $23.87 and $32 per hour based on Payscale’s salary figures.
Based on the salary data reported by HealthcareWorkerSalary.com, the median rate for epidemiologists working in the U.S. is $40 per hour. 10% of epidemiologists earn $49 per hour or more, and the 10% on the lower end of the pay scale earn an hourly salary of up to $31. The middle 50% of epidemiologists report earning an hourly wage in the range from $35 to $45.
Epidemiologists’ hourly salary can vary significantly from industry to industry. Based on the salary data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), epidemiology doctors working at general medical and surgical hospitals earn $38.52 per hour on average, those employed by the local government are paid around $29.99 per hour, and professionals working for the state government make $29.73 per hour on average.
Epidemiologists employed by universities, colleges, and professional schools earn an average hourly salary of $33.59, and those working in scientific research and development services are typically paid around $47.36 per hour.
Epidemiologists working in specialty hospitals (except psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals) earn an average hourly pay of $38.14, those employed by insurance carriers are paid around $39.20 per hour, and professionals working at outpatient care centers earn $38.15 per hour on average according to the BLS.
The hourly wage can also vary from state to state. Epidemiologists working in California earn an average hourly salary of $39.13, those based in Massachusetts are paid around $46.21 per hour, and professionals employed in Texas make $29.04 per hour on average.
Epidemiology specialists based in Maryland earn around $34.91 per hour, those working in Washington are paid around $36.30 per hour, and professionals employed in West Virginia earn an average hourly wage of $27.02. Epidemiologists employed in Kentucky are paid around $24.17 per hour, and those based in Nevada earn $38.28 per hour on average. Professionals working in North Carolina earn around $38.22 per hour, and those based in Connecticut are paid $38.12 per hour on average based on the salary data provided by the BLS.
Benefits
Along with their annual salary and bonuses, epidemiologists typically get a variety of benefits and perks, and these can sometimes reflect their yearly income.
Epidemiology doctors who have paid vacations and holidays generally earn between $37,473 and $102,474 a year, those who have 401(k) plans are paid between $37,759 and $114,993 annually, and professionals who have paid sick leave typically make between $37,249 and $103,630 a year.
Epidemiologists who have life and disability insurance as part of their benefits package are generally paid between $39,204 and $104,121 annually, and those who have a flexible work schedule earn salaries in the range from $37,480 to $100,483 according to Payscale’s salary figures.
The most popular benefits and perks among epidemiologists, as reported by Payscale, are paid vacations and holidays, 401(k) plans, paid sick leave, life and disability insurance, flexible schedule, casual dress and atmosphere at work, and reimbursement for professional education, training, tuition, and certification.
Other income factors
Area of specialty is another factor that can affect an epidemiologist’s annual salary. Professionals specializing in data analysis generally make between $42,924 and $100,072 a year, those specializing in public health are typically paid between $42,459 and $104,154 a year, and epidemiology doctors specializing in SAS usually report earning salaries in the range between $42,276 and $98,773 a year.
Epidemiologists specializing in research analysis earn between $50,239 and $103,986 a year, and those specializing in SPSS are typically paid an income in the range from $52,207 to $77,271 a year according to Payscale’s salary data. The most popular skills among epidemiologists are data analysis, public health, SAS, research analysis, SPSS, project management, and community health.
Epidemiologist salaries also vary depending on the type of employer. Professionals employed by the state or local government are generally paid between $38,330 and $78,587 a year, those employed by companies earn salaries in the range from $37,000 to $110,000 a year, and epidemiology specialists working for non-profit organizations typically earn between $32,779 and $110,495 a year. Epidemiologists working for private practices and firms are paid between $72,589 and $93,618 a year, and those working at hospitals generally make between $42,500 and $85,500 annually. Professionals employed by universities and colleges earn an annual pay in the range from $40,134 to $100,981, and those working for the federal government are paid between $48,337 and $137,020 a year according to Payscale.
Epidemiologists’ annual income also depends on the size of the organization that employs them. For example, professionals working for organizations that employ between 1 and 9 people typically earn an income in the range from $43,288 to $322,820 a year, those working for organizations with 10 to 49 employees are typically paid between $30,521 and $108,090 annually, and epidemiology doctors working for organizations with 50 to 199 employees earn salaries in the range from $42,500 to $128,975 a year.
Epidemiologists working for organizations that employ 200 to 599 people generally make between $53,902 and $95,554 a year, those working for organizations with 600 to 1,999 employees are typically paid between $44,000 and $75,000 annually, and professionals working for organizations with 5,000 to 19,999 employees earn an annual pay in the range from $41,446 to $124,800. Epidemiology specialists working for organizations with 50,000 or more employees generally report earning salaries in the range from $77,230 to $89,528 a year according to Payscale’s salary statistics.