Epidemiologists
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Epidemiologists in the United States earn a median salary of $87,220 per year — about $42 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 12K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +16%.
AI & Automation Risk
Epidemiology is a data-intensive knowledge profession where core tasks like statistical analysis, pattern recognition in large datasets, and literature reviews are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. While the role requires human judgment for policy-making, community outreach, and field investigations, the shift toward digital health records and automated surveillance systems significantly increases the productivity and exposure of the occupation.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CABEST VALUE | $130,400 | Above avg (115.6) | $112,790 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $125,320 | Above avg (111.9) | $112,006 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $123,970 | Above avg (111.1) | $111,551 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $115,890 | Above avg (108.3) | $107,042 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $105,670 | Average (100.2) | $105,443 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $111,960 | Above avg (106.7) | $104,959 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $104,310 | Average (99.6) | $104,765 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $108,240 | Above avg (103.7) | $104,408 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $105,850 | Average (101.8) | $104,006 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $112,780 | Above avg (108.9) | $103,578 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $105,930 | Above avg (103.2) | $102,665 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $103,780 | Above avg (103.6) | $100,179 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $104,460 | Above avg (104.8) | $99,655 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $97,290 | Average (100.3) | $97,001 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $91,800 | Below avg (94.7) | $96,967 |