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Quick answer · Balanced priorities

Epidemiologists vs Historians: what changes?

Consider Epidemiologists if you want to investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. Consider Historians if you would rather research, analyze, record, and interpret the past as recorded in sources, such as government and institutional records, newspapers and other periodicals, photographs, interviews, films, electronic media, and…. Both list master's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Epidemiologists and Historians. 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
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

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

Historians

National median pay (2025)
$76,750
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
Gather historical data from sources such as archives, court records, diaries, news files, and photographs, as well as from books, pamphlets, and periodicals.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
300
Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (3,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Historians brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Epidemiologists has the edge on projected growth

Epidemiologists is at 18.7% projected growth, compared with 3% projected growth for Historians.

2

Epidemiologists has the edge on annual openings

Epidemiologists is at 800 annual openings, compared with 300 annual openings for Historians.

3

Epidemiologists has the edge on median pay

Epidemiologists is at $87,220, compared with $76,750 for Historians.

53.2/ 100

Epidemiologists

vs
35.9/ 100

Historians

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

Epidemiologists vs Historians

DimensionEpidemiologistsHistorians
Median pay (2025)$87,220$76,750
Pay percentile76.1 percentile67.6 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)18.7%3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)800300
2025 employment12,8003,800
How you qualifyMaster's degreeMaster's degree
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 5Job Zone 5
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Epidemiologists briefRead Historians brief

Try another comparison

Epidemiologists vs Economists

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Epidemiologists
$87,220 · 18.7% growth
Economists
$124,720 · 4.7% growth
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Epidemiologists vs Political Scientists

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Epidemiologists
$87,220 · 18.7% growth
Political Scientists
$142,080 · -2% growth
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Historians vs Anthropologists and Archeologists

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Historians
$76,750 · 3% growth
Anthropologists and Archeologists
$70,770 · 6% growth
Compare careers →

Historians vs Political Scientists

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Historians
$76,750 · 3% growth
Political Scientists
$142,080 · -2% growth
Compare careers →
ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.