MPH Epidemiology Income

[sphinox]

Hi there,

I'm trying to figure out whether getting an MPH in epidemiology is worth it for me. Is there anyone who has actual experience in the job field of epidemiology? Is it hard to get a job? What was your starting salary?
I have a strong interest in the subject, but money is an important issue for me, especially since I would be taking out loans to cover graduate school costs.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Stories]

You can expect beginning salaries around mid-high-$40k right out of school (more in areas where living costs are higher) for government positions. If you go into industry (pharma, private research) you can begin in the high-$40k/low-$50k range. Academic research, you're likely looking mid-high-$30k, potentially mid-$40k depending on the type of position (eg. data analysis and SAS programming). These are all entry-level positions that I interviewed for.

Any job is hard to get in this world of decreased funding and more competitive applicants. But the future will be better, especially if you go to school in the next year or so.

Of the PH disciplines, epi will have the most jobs and money--it is the science behind PH. However, first make sure that epi is the field you truly want to enter. It's not for the faint of heart and it's very much science + math.

 

[bigpharmD]

You can expect beginning salaries around mid-high-$40k right out of school (more in areas where living costs are higher) for government positions. If you go into industry (pharma, private research) you can begin in the high-$40k/low-$50k range. Academic research, you're likely looking mid-high-$30k, potentially mid-$40k depending on the type of position (eg. data analysis and SAS programming). These are all entry-level positions that I interviewed for.

Any job is hard to get in this world of decreased funding and more competitive applicants. But the future will be better, especially if you go to school in the next year or so.

Of the PH disciplines, epi will have the most jobs and money--it is the science behind PH. However, first make sure that epi is the field you truly want to enter. It's not for the faint of heart and it's very much science + math.

is this just for an MPH alone

 

[Stories]

is this just for an MPH alone

Yes. If I applied to these positions with a PhD, I would have been far too overqualified.

 

[alicecalifornia]

I work in California. My co-worker with an MS in Epi from UW makes close to 60K a year. She mostly does SAS programming and analysis but she also does code books (a waste of her time, really) and other mundane things that these studies from our research center will eventually pass off to lower paid employees. I don't know what she was making when she first came on (this is at UC Davis) but I don't think it was anything lower than 45K. I should hope not at least! Then again, she didn't have a ton of work experience between her undergrad and her grad. So, they might have been able to low ball her. Regardless, other co-workers have said they believe in California you would be able to pull in close to 60K out of an MPH program but these are people who have a whole career behind them and did the master's later in life so I can't say how that would apply to someone who is genuinely entry level.

 

[Music333]

Is there a salary difference between a MS and MPH in epi?

 

[DrJosephKim]

Is there a salary difference between a MS and MPH in epi?

Not from the job descriptions I've seen.