Free Epidemiologist Job Description Templates
Free epidemiologist job description templates: public health, infectious disease, clinical, senior, and junior roles, with FLSA notes. Download DOCX.
Epidemiologist Job Description Templates
6 templates for standard, public health, infectious disease, clinical, senior, and junior roles, with the FLSA classification notes no competitor includes. Download as DOCX.
The epidemiologist job description covers a single occupation that looks different across settings. The same title can mean a public health epidemiologist running outbreak response at a health department, an infectious disease specialist tracking transmission, a clinical epidemiologist preventing infections in a hospital, or a researcher designing studies. What they share is the core: studying the patterns and causes of disease in populations.
At FirstHR, we build templates for the whole range, with two things no competitor offers: a downloadable DOCX and a clear note on FLSA classification, which for this role has a real public-sector wrinkle. The six templates below cover standard, public health, infectious disease, clinical, senior, and junior. Pick the one that fits, fill in the brackets, and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Does an Epidemiologist Do?
An epidemiologist studies the patterns, causes, and spread of disease and injury in populations, and turns that analysis into reports and guidance that inform public health and policy. The work includes designing studies and surveillance, analyzing health data, investigating outbreaks, applying biostatistics, and communicating findings to officials and the public.
The federal definition maps to epidemiologists (SOC 19-1041), which the Bureau of Labor Statistics describes as investigating the patterns and causes of disease and injury. The emphasis shifts by setting: public health epidemiologists run community surveillance, infectious disease epidemiologists track transmission, and clinical epidemiologists work on healthcare-associated infections. The templates split along those lines.
Where Epidemiologists Work
Epidemiology concentrates in public and institutional settings rather than small business. Government employs the largest share, followed by hospitals, research, and universities. Here is the landscape, with how pay tends to vary.
| Setting | Focus | Pay tendency |
|---|---|---|
| State and local government | Surveillance, outbreak response | Around or below the median |
| Hospitals | Healthcare-associated infections, safety | Around the median or above |
| Scientific research and development | Studies, grant-funded research | Well above the median |
| Colleges and universities | Teaching and research | Around the median |
| Pharma and research orgs | Clinical and pharmacoepidemiology | Varies, often above |
Government, at the state and local level, employs more than half of all epidemiologists, which is why the public health template is the most common starting point. The templates here cover that and the other main settings.
Epidemiologist Duties and Responsibilities
An epidemiologist's duties cluster into surveillance and investigation, data and analysis, reporting and communication, and prevention and programs. The mix shifts by setting, but these areas hold across roles.
The balance varies: a public health role leans toward surveillance and outbreak response, a clinical role toward infection data and prevention. For a structured way to scope any role, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by setting and seniority. The public health, infectious disease, and clinical versions match different environments, and the senior and junior versions match the level. Use this guide to choose.
6 Free Epidemiologist Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: position summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, an FLSA classification note, an EEO statement, and pay. Fill in the brackets and post.
Template 1: Standard Epidemiologist
The universal base: study disease patterns, design studies, analyze data, and prepare reports. The starting point if no specialized version fits.
Template 2: Public Health / Government Epidemiologist
For a state or local health department, the largest employer of epidemiologists. Surveillance, outbreak response, and population health.
Template 3: Infectious Disease Epidemiologist
For communicable-disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and control. Common in health departments, hospitals, and research.
Template 4: Clinical / Healthcare Epidemiologist
For a hospital or health system: healthcare-associated infections, patient safety, and infection prevention within the care setting.
Template 5: Senior / Lead Epidemiologist
For leading studies, setting methodology, mentoring staff, and shaping the program. Typically a PhD-, MD-, or experienced master's-level role.
Template 6: Junior / Entry-Level Epidemiologist
For an entry-level hire who supports the team and learns the field. Read the classification note, since some entry and public roles can be non-exempt.
FLSA: Is an Epidemiologist Exempt or Non-Exempt?
This is the question no competing template answers, and for an epidemiologist there is a real public-sector wrinkle. The Department of Labor is clear that the title does not decide exempt status; the actual duties and salary do.
An epidemiologist is generally a learned professional: the work requires advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning acquired through a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction, which is why the role typically requires a master's degree or higher. So a salaried epidemiologist doing professional analytic work is usually exempt.
The practical rule: classify by the real duties and pay, document the basis, and confirm public-sector and entry-level classifications carefully rather than assuming exempt from the title.
Requirements and Qualifications
This is a credential-and-method role: a graduate degree plus quantitative skill matters most, and the specifics scale by setting and seniority.
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Education | Master's (MPH or epidemiology) typical; PhD or MD for senior and research |
| Core skills | Biostatistics, study design, surveillance methods |
| Software | SAS, R, Stata, or SPSS |
| By setting | Outbreak investigation, infection prevention, or research depth |
| Experience | Entry-level support up to 5+ years for senior |
| Communication | Translating analysis for officials and the public |
Separate the must-have qualifications, like the required degree and core methods, from the preferred ones, so you do not screen out strong candidates in a small talent pool. The guide to writing a job description covers how to structure the rest.
Pay and Hiring Outlook
Epidemiologists earn a solid professional wage that varies widely by setting, and the field is growing much faster than average.
Anchor your range to the setting, seniority, and degree, since the spread is wide: research and private-sector roles pay well above the median, while the government roles that employ most epidemiologists tend to pay somewhat below it. A clear, competitive range matters for attracting scarce candidates in a fast-growing field.
Hiring an Epidemiologist
The honest picture: the role spans several settings, the FLSA call has a public-sector wrinkle, and it is a small, credential-heavy field with strong growth. Here are the three realities to get right.
After You Hire: Onboarding an Epidemiologist
Onboarding an epidemiologist is more than paperwork, because this person handles sensitive, often legally protected health data. Send the offer stating the pay and classification, collect the signed offer, and complete Form I-9 and tax forms as part of the new hire paperwork.
Then handle the steps specific to a health-data role, which are the core of a clean start.
Keep the signed onboarding documents, including confidentiality and data-use agreements, in one place. If you are setting up hiring without a dedicated HR team, the overview of small business HR covers the basics.
FirstHR fits this hire directly: e-signature for the offer, confidentiality and data-use agreements, and policy acknowledgments, document management to store those signed records securely, training modules to deliver and document privacy and standards training, task workflows to grant and track data and systems access, and a simple HRIS with an org chart placing the epidemiologist in your team. Because pricing is flat rather than per seat, an organization pays one rate as it grows. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with a payroll provider or PEO. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an epidemiologist do?
An epidemiologist studies the patterns, causes, and spread of disease and injury in populations, and uses that analysis to inform public health and policy. The core work includes designing and conducting epidemiologic studies and surveillance, collecting and analyzing health data, investigating outbreaks and identifying risk factors, applying biostatistics and modeling, and preparing reports and recommendations for officials and the public. Epidemiologists also support disease prevention and control programs and coordinate with healthcare providers and partners. The federal definition maps to epidemiologists (SOC 19-1041), described by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as investigating the patterns and causes of disease and injury, often working in disease surveillance and outbreak response. The emphasis shifts by setting: a public health epidemiologist at a health department runs community surveillance and outbreak response, an infectious disease epidemiologist focuses on communicable disease and transmission, a clinical epidemiologist at a hospital works on healthcare-associated infections and patient safety, and a research epidemiologist designs studies at a university or research organization. It is a quantitative, research-heavy role that typically requires at least a master's degree.
Is an epidemiologist exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
An epidemiologist is generally exempt under the learned professional exemption, but there is a real wrinkle worth knowing, especially in the public sector. The exemption applies when an employee's primary duty requires advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning that is customarily acquired through a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction. Epidemiology fits squarely, which is why the role typically requires a master's degree or higher, so a salaried epidemiologist performing professional analytic work is usually exempt. The wrinkle is that government, which employs most epidemiologists, sometimes classifies these roles as non-exempt depending on the agency's pay structure and the position's actual duties. An entry-level role paid below the federal salary threshold can also be non-exempt regardless of the degree. The Department of Labor is clear that the job title does not determine exempt status; the actual duties and salary do. Several states also set salary thresholds higher than the federal floor, and where a state standard is stricter, it controls. The practical approach is to classify based on the real duties and pay, document the basis, and confirm the public-sector classification against the agency's rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where do epidemiologists work?
Epidemiologists work primarily in government, hospitals, universities, and research organizations rather than in small businesses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest employers are state governments and local governments, which together account for more than half of all epidemiologist jobs, reflecting the field's core role in public health surveillance and outbreak response at health departments. Beyond government, hospitals employ epidemiologists for healthcare-associated infection control and patient safety, scientific research and development services employ them for studies and grant-funded research, and colleges and universities employ them for teaching and research. Pharmaceutical companies and other research organizations also hire epidemiologists for clinical and pharmacoepidemiology work. Because the role centers on population health and concentrates in public and institutional settings, a typical small business does not employ an epidemiologist; when a smaller healthcare organization needs related expertise, it more often hires an infection preventionist or relies on public health partners. If you are hiring an epidemiologist, you are most likely doing so within a health department, hospital, university, or research organization, and the templates on this page are organized around those settings.
How much does an epidemiologist make?
Epidemiologists earn a solid professional wage that varies sharply by setting and experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, epidemiologists (SOC 19-1041) had a median annual wage of $83,980 as of May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $56,950 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $134,860. Setting matters a great deal: among the top industries, scientific research and development services paid a median around $130,390, hospitals around $99,690, colleges and universities around $80,640, state government around $79,640, and local government around $76,180. In other words, research and private-sector roles tend to pay well above the median, while the government roles that employ the largest share of epidemiologists tend to pay somewhat below it. Pay also scales with education and seniority, with PhD- and MD-level senior and research roles at the upper end. For your posting, anchor the range to the setting, seniority, and degree you are hiring for rather than to the overall median, since the spread across sectors is wide, and a credible range helps attract scarce qualified candidates.
Is the epidemiologist field growing?
Yes, epidemiology is one of the faster-growing occupations, with strong projected demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of epidemiologists to grow 16 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding roughly 2,000 jobs over the decade. Despite that strong growth rate, the field remains small in absolute terms, with about 12,300 jobs in 2024, and BLS projects about 800 openings each year on average, including replacement needs. The growth is driven by sustained investment in public health infrastructure, disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness, and the increasing integration of data science and genomic methods into epidemiology. Because the field is small and credential-heavy, qualified candidates are relatively scarce even with steady openings, which makes a clear and specific job description important for attracting them. The trend also means strong long-term prospects for the role, though demand in the public sector in particular can be tied to government funding cycles, which is worth keeping in mind when planning a hire.
What qualifications should an epidemiologist have?
An epidemiologist typically needs at least a master's degree, most commonly a Master of Public Health (MPH) or a master's in epidemiology, and senior or research roles often require a PhD or an MD. Beyond the degree, the most important qualifications are strong biostatistics and quantitative analysis skills, proficiency with statistical software such as SAS, R, Stata, or SPSS, knowledge of study design and surveillance methods, and clear written and verbal communication to translate analysis for officials and the public. The specific emphasis depends on the setting: an infectious disease epidemiologist needs outbreak investigation and transmission expertise, a clinical epidemiologist needs knowledge of healthcare-associated infections and infection prevention, and a research epidemiologist needs depth in study design and often grant experience. Experience requirements scale with seniority, from entry-level support roles up to senior epidemiologists with extensive research and field experience. When writing the posting, separate the must-have qualifications, such as the required degree and core analytic skills, from the preferred ones, so you do not screen out strong candidates over a nice-to-have in what is a small and competitive talent pool.
What is the difference between an epidemiologist and an infection preventionist?
They overlap in healthcare settings but are distinct roles with different training and scope. An epidemiologist is a population-health scientist, usually holding a master's degree or higher, who studies disease patterns and causes across populations using study design and biostatistics, and who may work in public health, research, hospitals, or academia. An infection preventionist, often a nurse or clinical professional with specialized certification such as the CIC, works within a healthcare facility to prevent and control infections at the point of care, focusing on practice, policy, surveillance of healthcare-associated infections, and staff education. In a large hospital, a healthcare epidemiologist may set the analytic and scientific direction while infection preventionists carry out day-to-day prevention work, and the two collaborate closely. For a smaller healthcare organization, an infection preventionist is frequently the more relevant and common hire, since the role is embedded in clinical operations, whereas a dedicated epidemiologist is more typical of larger systems, health departments, and research organizations. When deciding which to hire, match the role to whether you need population-level analysis and study design, which points to an epidemiologist, or hands-on infection control in a care setting, which points to an infection preventionist.
What happens after I hire an epidemiologist?
Run a structured onboarding that covers standard employment paperwork plus the access, privacy, and standards steps specific to a health-data role. Start with the basics: send the offer stating the pay and the FLSA classification, collect the signed offer, complete Form I-9 within the first days, and gather the W-4 and any state tax forms. Then handle the items specific to an epidemiologist. Grant access to surveillance systems, statistical software, and health datasets with the right permissions, and make sure any required data-use agreements are signed before access to protected data. Because epidemiologists handle sensitive and often legally protected health data, train the new hire on data-privacy rules, confidentiality, and reporting requirements, and keep a record that the training happened, which matters in a regulated environment. Walk them through your study methods, data-quality standards, documentation expectations, and review process so the work is consistent and reproducible. A clear, documented onboarding gets a technical hire productive faster and protects the integrity and privacy of the data. FirstHR handles the onboarding layer: e-signature for the offer, confidentiality and data-use agreements, and policy acknowledgments, document management to store those signed records securely, training modules to deliver and document privacy and standards training, task workflows to grant and track data and systems access, and a simple HRIS with an org chart placing the epidemiologist in your team. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with a payroll provider. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.