Economists vs Epidemiologists: $125K vs $87K Median Pay

Economists vs Epidemiologists: what changes?

Consider Economists if you want to conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. Consider Epidemiologists if you would rather investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. Both list master's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Economists and Epidemiologists. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Economists

National median pay (2025): $124,720
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,100

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (18,600 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Economists brief

Epidemiologists

National median pay (2025): $87,220
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Communicate research findings on various types of diseases to health practitioners, policy makers, and the public.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 800

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (12,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Epidemiologists brief

How the national numbers differ

Epidemiologists has the edge on projected growth

Epidemiologists is at 18.7% projected growth, compared with 4.7% projected growth for Economists.

Economists has the edge on median pay

Economists is at $124,720, compared with $87,220 for Epidemiologists.

Economists has the edge on annual openings

Economists is at 1,100 annual openings, compared with 800 annual openings for Epidemiologists.

51.7/ 100

Economists

53.2/ 100

Epidemiologists

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence