Career comparison
Epidemiologist vs. Statistician
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Statisticians earn more at the median ($105,650 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. Statisticians design studies and analyze data to answer questions in health, business and science.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Epidemiologist | Statistician | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $87,220 ($41.93/hr) | $105,650 ($50.79/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $61,270 – $138,800 | $64,000 – $174,050 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +18.7% (much faster than average) | +11.0% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 800 | 1,900 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Master's degree |
| Training time | 2 years after a bachelor’s | 2 years after a bachelor’s |
| Key credential | CPH | PStat |
| Work setting | Epidemiologists work in health department offices, hospitals, labs and in the field.. | Statisticians work in offices for pharma, government, universities and companies; many work remotely.. |
What each job does
Epidemiologist
- Track disease data
- Investigate outbreaks
- Design studies
- Analyze data
- Write reports
Statistician
- Design studies
- Choose methods
- Analyze data
- Build models
- Check assumptions
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 statistician if…
- I love data
- I’m skeptical of easy answers
- I can code
Still torn? Take the Epidemiologist fit quiz and the Statistician fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, epidemiologist or statistician?
Statisticians earn more at the median: $105,650 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 statisticians (2 years after a bachelor’s).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects epidemiologists to grow +18.7% from 2025–35, compared with +11.0% for statisticians.