Epidemiologist
Investigate disease outbreaks and shape public health policy.
About the Career
Public health infrastructure in Canada was significantly expanded post-2020.
Salary in Canada
- Entry level: $70,000
- Senior level: $130,000
Public Health Agency of Canada and provincial ministries are the biggest employers.
Job Outlook
Stable demand. Public health infrastructure in Canada was significantly expanded post-2020.
How to Get There
- BSc (Health Sci/Biology) + MPH (Master of Public Health)
- Time to career: 6 years post-Grade 12
Key Skills
- Outbreak Investigation
- Biostatistics
- Study Design
- Data Analysis & Visualisation
- Public Health Communication
Typical Employers
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- Provincial & municipal public health units
- Hospitals & research institutes
- Universities
- Global health organisations
High School Roadmap
- Take Science and Math. Follow public health news.
- Join the debate team to learn how to analyze and argue statistics.
- Focus heavily on Math (Functions/Data Management) and Biology.
- Apply to Health Sciences programs. McMaster has a highly regarded Bachelor of Health Sciences.
Top Universities for This Path
- McMaster University – Hamilton, ON
- University of Toronto – Toronto, ON
- University of British Columbia – Vancouver, BC
- Simon Fraser University – Burnaby, BC
- University of Alberta – Edmonton, AB
Insider Tips
- Epidemiology is heavily mathematical. You need strong statistics skills, not just biology.
- A Master of Public Health (MPH) is the standard terminal degree for this field.
- Strong statistics skills (R or SAS) are what actually get epidemiologists hired.