SALARY DATA — SOC 19-1041
Epidemiologists
19-0000 Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
The 90/10 ratio for Epidemiologists is 2.27× — the national median is $87,220 but top decile earns $138,800. The spread exists; it's concentrated in geography, specialization, and industry sector. Knowing which end of the band you're on is the whole negotiation.
BLS OEWS reference period: May 2025. Employment: 12,090.
Wage distribution — the receipts
National OEWS annual wage percentiles. "vs. median" column shows each percentile relative to the occupation's own national median — this is where your position in the band lives. Source and series IDs: methodology page.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs. median | Hourly (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th pct — bottom decile | $61,270 | -30% | ~$29 |
| 25th pct — lower quartile | $71,090 | -18% | ~$34 |
| Median — 50th pct | $87,220 | — | $41.93/hr |
| Mean — average | $97,890 | +12% | $47.06/hr |
| 75th pct — upper quartile | $112,640 | +29% | ~$54 |
| 90th pct — top decile | $138,800 | +59% | ~$67 |
Source: BLS OEWS national estimates. Annual wage ÷ 2,080 hrs = hourly estimate. Hourly-median is direct from OEWS when available; others are estimates only.
Pay by metro area
BLS publishes May 2025 wage estimates for Epidemiologists in 54 metro areas; the 10 with the most jobs are below, ranked by employment.
| Metro | Jobs | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 620 | $115,890 | $81,380 | $212,890 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 580 | $123,970 | $80,860 | $183,320 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 400 | $98,340 | $71,360 | $173,660 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 380 | $105,400 | $73,880 | $154,150 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 380 | $112,780 | $81,900 | $132,630 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 370 | $70,880 | $50,140 | $119,480 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 370 | $72,410 | $62,940 | $90,680 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 330 | $108,240 | $91,060 | $131,870 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 320 | $130,400 | $100,310 | $224,270 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 290 | $94,690 | $73,700 | $142,570 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma/MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx). Jobs are rounded to the nearest ten and exclude the self-employed; a dash means BLS suppressed that percentile.
Pay by industry
Across 13 detailed industries with a publishable estimate, the 5 that employ the most Epidemiologists are below, with the median wage each one pays.
| Industry | NAICS | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 999200 | 3,970 | $84,410 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 999300 | 2,730 | $80,680 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 541700 | 1,200 | $127,410 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 622100 | 1,070 | $104,470 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 611300 | 870 | $83,890 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — national 4-digit NAICS industry estimates (oesm25in4/nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx), all ownerships combined. Industries where BLS suppresses the wage are omitted rather than shown as zero.
What it pays vs. what it buys
The wage is only half the number. Below, the metro median for Epidemiologists is divided by that metro's BEA Regional Price Parity — the federal measure of what a dollar actually buys there. Nominal is what the job pays. Real is what it buys at local prices. Which reorders the answer: Miami ranks #18 of 38 on the paycheck and #26 once you spend it.
| Metro | Nominal | Prices | Real | Rank shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | $125,320 | 99.6 | $125,796 | +1 |
| San Francisco | $130,400 | 106.2 | $122,805 | -1 |
| Boston | $115,890 | 103.6 | $111,820 | +1 |
| Sacramento | $111,960 | 100.3 | $111,661 | +2 |
| Seattle | $123,970 | 111.1 | $111,551 | -2 |
| Washington | $112,780 | 102.3 | $110,267 | -1 |
| Las Vegas | $105,670 | 98.7 | $107,013 | +1 |
| Providence | $105,850 | 102.3 | $103,488 | -1 |
| Chicago | $103,780 | 100.5 | $103,250 | +2 |
| Minneapolis | $104,460 | 104.4 | $100,063 | — |
Top 10 of 38 metros by real wage. Rank shift = places gained or lost against the nominal ranking. Houston gains 5 places. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities (national = 100). Metros where BLS suppresses the estimate are omitted rather than shown as zero. Full data at /salaries-metro.json.
Is this job growing or dying?
BLS projects employment in Epidemiologists to move from 12,800 to 15,200 over 2025–2035 — +18.7% , with about 800 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted . Typical entry requirement: master's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025–2035). Openings count growth and replacement need together, which is why a shrinking occupation can still hire. Full data at /employment-projections.json.
Salary FAQ
- What is the median salary for Epidemiologists?
- The median annual salary for Epidemiologists is $87,220, and the mean is $97,890 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025).
- What is the salary range for Epidemiologists?
- Most Epidemiologists earn between $61,270 and $138,800 a year. The wage gap inside the occupation is a 2.27× ratio — workers at the 90th percentile earn 2.27 times those at the 10th (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- Where does pay for Epidemiologists fall the most after adjusting for cost of living?
- Local prices reorder the ranking. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL ranks #18 by nominal pay but #26 of 38 metros once local prices are applied (BEA Regional Price Parities).
- Is employment for Epidemiologists growing or shrinking?
- BLS projects Epidemiologists employment to grow 18.7% over the 2025–2035 window, with about 800 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).
- How many Epidemiologists jobs are there in the US?
- BLS counts about 12,090 workers in Epidemiologists nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Figures from this page's OEWS / Employment Projections / BEA data, above. Methodology at /methodology#oews-salaries.
Related occupations
Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations whose national median wage is closest to that of Epidemiologists: same SOC major group, nearest median first.
- Microbiologists $87,990
- Food Scientists and Technologists $88,720
- Urban and Regional Planners $89,320
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists $90,150
- Chemists $91,240
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $82,220
- Life Scientists, All Other $93,750
- Soil and Plant Scientists $78,850
The national wage distribution and the metro and industry tables above are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Epidemiologists (SOC 19-1041): percentiles from the OEWS API series, metro and industry rows from the published bulk tables — how they are fetched, what OEWS leaves out (equity, bonuses, benefits) and how the 90/10 ratio is read are documented at /methodology#oews-salaries and #oews-breakdown. The other sections keep their own sources and periods: the cost-adjusted metro table divides OEWS metro medians by BEA Regional Price Parities (/methodology#burnout-index); the outlook and its FAQ entry are BLS Employment Projections for 2025–2035.
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Raw JSON: /salaries/epidemiologists-19-1041.json · License: CC BY 4.0 · Source: BLS OEWS · Cite as: Office Blues OEWS Salary Data, Epidemiologists, officeblues.net/salaries/epidemiologists-19-1041
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