Career comparison
Epidemiologist vs. Microbiologist
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Microbiologists earn more at the median ($87,990 vs. $87,220), while epidemiologists usually get to work faster (2 years after a bachelor’s of training). Epidemiologists track diseases and find out what causes them to protect public health. Microbiologists study bacteria, viruses and microbes to protect health and make products.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Epidemiologist | Microbiologist | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $87,220 ($41.93/hr) | $87,990 ($42.30/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $61,270 – $138,800 | $54,670 – $150,000 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +18.7% (much faster than average) | +6.2% (faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 800 | 1,500 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 2 years after a bachelor’s | 4+ years |
| Key credential | CPH | ASM Specialist Microbiologist |
| Work setting | Epidemiologists work in health department offices, hospitals, labs and in the field.. | Microbiologists work in labs, sometimes with infectious agents under biosafety rules.. |
What each job does
Epidemiologist
- Track disease data
- Investigate outbreaks
- Design studies
- Analyze data
- Write reports
Microbiologist
- Culture and identify microorganisms
- Test products for contamination
- Design and run experiments
- Monitor clean rooms and environments
- Analyze data
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with information, in-demand, problem-solving, and high-pay. Both are part of the science, engineering & lab field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose epidemiologist if…
- I like solving mysteries
- I like data
- I want to protect public health
Choose microbiologist if…
- I love biology
- I’m careful and precise
- I want to protect health
Still torn? Take the Epidemiologist fit quiz and the Microbiologist fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, epidemiologist or microbiologist?
Microbiologists earn more at the median: $87,990 versus $87,220 for epidemiologists, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Epidemiologists typically train faster (2 years after a bachelor’s) than microbiologists (4+ years).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects epidemiologists to grow +18.7% from 2025–35, compared with +6.2% for microbiologists.