Epidemiologist: Duties, Salary, and How to Become One

Epidemiology, the study of diseases and injuries, focuses on understanding their origins, modes of transmission, and effective containment strategies. As an epidemiologist, you’ll blend scientific expertise with honed research skills to meticulously investigate disease causation, contributing to the overall protection of public health. 

While the COVID-19 pandemic shone a light on some of the dramatic elements of epidemiology, the fact is that many epidemiologists study a wide range of common diseases and injuries that inflict people every day. Some common topics of study include influenza, pneumonia, cancer, congenital disabilities, asthma-inducing air pollution, and heavy metal contamination. 

If you’re interested in science and medicine and investigating some of the leading health problems facing humanity today, you might want to consider a career as an epidemiologist. 

Learn more about epidemiologists, what they do, their job outlook, and how to become one. You’ll also find some suggested courses that can help you explore this increasingly crucial medical career. 

What is an epidemiologist? 

Epidemiologists are health professionals who identify the causes of a disease, those at risk of contracting it, and how to stop or mitigate its spread. As public health professionals, epidemiologists work to improve health outcomes within the population by using their biological and medical expertise to understand the diseases that impact the population thoroughly. 

Typically, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care, responds to infectious diseases and employs epidemiologists. NHS Jobs, the Civil Service recruitment website, also advertises job opportunities.

Universities and research institutions hire lecturers specialising in public health and epidemiology and researchers engaged in specific projects. Additionally, the private sector, particularly global pharmaceutical companies, employs epidemiologists with strong commercial awareness.

Epidemiologist vs virologist

While epidemiologists and virologists strive to improve public health by studying the diseases and viruses that make us sick, they do so from different angles.  

Epidemiologists study the external ways that diseases and viruses spread within a population, what causes this spread, and how to stop or control it.

Virologists, meanwhile, focus on viruses, studying how they originate, function, and replicate. They then develop vaccines to combat those viruses.

What does an epidemiologist do? 

As they work to stop the spread of disease, epidemiologists perform various important tasks. While these responsibilities might shift from job to job and case by case, some typical responsibilities include the following:

• Plan, conduct, and supervise research into the origins of various diseases

• Oversee the work of technical and administrative staff supporting research efforts

• Collect and analyse data acquired through interviews, surveys, blood samples, plus other means

• Advise health officials and policymakers on disease spread and containment strategies

Epidemiologist salary and job outlook 

Epidemiologists command a higher-than-average salary and expect much faster-than-average job growth over the coming years.

According to Indeed, the median annual salary for epidemiologists was £51,342 as of August 2024 [1]. Furthermore, UK medical salaries vary by level and specialisation. For instance, Band 5 professionals earn  £29,970 to  £36,483, depending on their years of experience, while Band 6 employees earn £37,338 to £44,962, and Band 7 professionals earn £46,148 to £52,809. The scale continues to Band 9, which ranges from £105,385 to £121,271 [2]].

Epidemiologist jobs 

Numerous roles exist for people who want to build a career in epidemiology, from those who work in the field to those who conduct research in laboratories. Some of the typical jobs you might consider pursuing within the field of epidemiology include:

• Infection prevention and control epidemiologist 

• Molecular epidemiologist 

• Biostatistician 

How to become an epidemiologist 

A career in epidemiology requires a solid educational foundation to investigate diseases and develop strategies to stop their spread effectively. The following steps can help you prepare to join this impactful field and turn disease control and prevention into your professional career:   

1. Get an undergraduate degree.

Throughout your time as an undergraduate, consider taking courses that equip you with a foundational understanding of the biological sciences, scientific research principles, and the public health issues the field focuses on. Some common undergraduate degree subjects include biology, public health, and other subjects within the social sciences and public policy. 

Typically, epidemiology professionals have a postgraduate degree—either a master’s or a PhD—in epidemiology or a related field such as public health, statistical science, or biological science. Postgraduate course providers seek graduates with a strong degree in quantitative science, usually achieving a 2:1 or higher. 

2. Focus on your skills. 

An investigative impulse drives epidemiology to get to the bottom of some of the most pressing public health issues plaguing the world today. As you prepare for a career working alongside highly-trained professionals working to solve pressing public health crises, consider honing some of these critical skills to ensure you do the best possible job: 

• Problem-solving

• Communication 

• Collaboration 

• Maths, statistics, and data analysis 

3. Get a master’s degree in public health (or a related field).

To qualify for a job within epidemiology, you usually must possess at least a master’s degree (though some positions, such as at academic institutions, might even require you to hold a PhD).

Prepare for your career in the field by attending a master’s degree programme in public health, epidemiology, or a related scientific field. Sometimes, professionals also pursue a medical degree alongside their more epidemiology-focused one. 

Explore epidemiology with Coursera 

If the recent global pandemic taught the public anything, it’s the importance of skilled epidemiologists. You could also focus on other facets of the field, including veterinary epidemiology, genetic epidemiology, and research science.

To join the ranks of epidemiologist, you need to gain the required education and training. As you’re exploring a future career in epidemiology, you might consider taking a cost-effective online specialisation or degree on Coursera. 

For example, through Johns Hopkins Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialisation, you'll learn to use the core epidemiologic toolset to measure the health of populations, assess interventions, collect and analyse data, and investigate outbreaks and epidemics. Additionally, Imperial College London’s Epidemiology for Public Health Specialisation can help equip you with the skills to correctly interpret epidemiological research, consider its limitations, and design your studies.

specialization

Epidemiology in Public Health Practice

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Epidemiology for Public Health

Design and Critique Epidemiological Research. Develop skills that will allow you to conduct and critically assess research in epidemiology

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Clinical Study Design, Bias, association, Causal Inference, Screening, Randomized Controlled Trial, Study designs, Case-Control Study, Cohort, incidence, Epidemiology, Prevalence, Selection Bias, Interaction (Statistics), Validity, Confounding, Information bias