Occupation Summary

Epidemiologists

O*NET 19-1041.00

Description:

Investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.

Annual Wages:
$96,119.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 26.76%.
Education Level:
Master's Degree. According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.
Endorsement:
STEM

  1. Oversee public health programs, including statistical analysis, health care planning, surveillance systems, and public health improvement.
  2. Investigate diseases or parasites to determine cause and risk factors, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission.
  3. Plan and direct studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
  4. Plan, administer and evaluate health safety standards and programs to improve public health, conferring with health department, industry personnel, physicians, and others.
  5. Provide expertise in the design, management and evaluation of study protocols and health status questionnaires, sample selection, and analysis.
  6. Conduct research to develop methodologies, instrumentation, and procedures for medical application, analyzing data and presenting findings.
  7. Consult with and advise physicians, educators, researchers, government health officials and others regarding medical applications of sciences, such as physics, biology, and chemistry.
  8. Supervise professional, technical, and clerical personnel.
  9. Identify and analyze public health issues related to foodborne parasitic diseases and their impact on public policies, scientific studies, or surveys.
  10. Teach principles of medicine and medical and laboratory procedures to physicians, residents, students, and technicians.
  11. Prepare and analyze samples to study effects of drugs, gases, pesticides, or microorganisms on cell structure and tissue.
  12. Monitor and report incidents of infectious diseases to local and state health agencies.
  13. Communicate research findings on various types of diseases to health practitioners, policy makers, and the public.
  14. Educate healthcare workers, patients, and the public about infectious and communicable diseases, including disease transmission and prevention.
  15. Write articles for publication in professional journals.
  16. Write grant applications to fund epidemiologic research.


National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Epidemiologists employed Annual Growth Rate
General medical and surgical hospitals 10.9 0.00
Colleges, universities, and professional schools 8.9 2.92
Scientific research and development services 7.1 2.55
Employment services 5.4 1.84
Grantmaking and giving services 2 0.00


Labor Market Information


2024 Statewide average hourly wage $46.21
2024 National average hourly wage $45.27
2022 National employment 10,000
2022 Texas employment 766
Texas projected employment by 2032 971
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 64




TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
90.00%
Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
85.20%
Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
80.00%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
80.00%
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
70.60%
Communications and Media
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
69.40%
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
68.40%
Sociology and Anthropology
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
63.20%
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
60.00%
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
55.80%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
85.00%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
85.00%
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
85.00%
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
85.00%
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
82.40%
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
82.40%
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
82.40%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
82.40%
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
80.00%
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
80.00%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
87.60%
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
87.60%
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
87.60%
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
85.00%
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
85.00%
Written Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
85.00%
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
82.40%
Fluency of Ideas
The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
80.00%
Category Flexibility
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
80.00%
Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
80.00%


  • Analyzing Data or Information
    -- Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    -- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Processing Information
    -- Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Working with Computers
    -- Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
    -- Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Other Activities


  • Achievement
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
  • Recognition
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.



Tools

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Notebook computers: Laptop computers;

Personal computers: Personal computers;


Technology

Analytical or scientific software: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epi Info; Circle Systems Stat/Transfer; Cytel Egret; Disease Mapping and Analysis Program DMAP; Epicenter Software Epilog; EpiData Analysis; Data visualization software; Expert Health Data Programming Vitalnet; GeoDa; HiroSoft EPICURE; IBM SPSS Statistics; Meta-analysis with interactive explanations MIX; RTI International SUDAAN; SAS; SaTScan; Signal detection software; StataCorp Stata; Statistical processing software; Statistical software; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH Life Table Analysis System; Pan American Health Organization SIGEpi; TerraSeer ClusterSeer; World Health Organization HealthMapper;

Business intelligence and data analysis software: Tableau;

Data base user interface and query software: Structured query language SQL; Microsoft Access; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC WONDER; Database software;

Data mining software: Data mining software;

Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook;

Geographic information system: Esri ArcGIS; ESRI ArcInfo; ESRI ArcView; Geographic information system GIS software;

Internet browser software: Web browser software;

Map creation software: ESRI ArcGIS software;

Object or component oriented development software: Python; R;

Office suite software: Microsoft Office software;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint;

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel;

Web page creation and editing software: Facebook;

Word processing software: Microsoft Word; Word processing software;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Epidemiologists include:
  • 19-3039.03 Clinical Neuropsychologists
  • 29-1141.04 Clinical Nurse Specialists
  • 29-1214.00 Emergency Medicine Physicians
  • 29-1216.00 General Internal Medicine Physicians
  • 19-1029.03 Geneticists
  • 19-1042.00 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists
  • 19-1022.00 Microbiologists
  • 19-3039.02 Neuropsychologists
  • 29-1222.00 Physicians, Pathologists
  • 29-1229.05 Preventive Medicine Physicians


Sources of Additional Information
  • For more information about epidemiologists, visit: American College of Epidemiology
  • Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
  • The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
  • For more information about epidemiology careers in the federal government, visit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • National Institutes of Health
  • For public health–related information, visit: American Epidemiological Society
  • American Public Health Association
  • Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
  • National Academy for State Health Policy
  • Public Health Foundation
  • CareerOneStop

  • For a career video on epidemiologists, visit: Epidemiologists
  • Epidemiologists

  • Contact Texas Workforce Commission
    Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
    Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

    ** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.