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What They Do
About This Career
Investigates and describes the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.
This career is part of the Health Science cluster Diagnostic Services pathway.
A person in this career:
- Communicates research findings on various types of diseases to health practitioners, policy makers, and the public.
- Oversees public health programs, including statistical analysis, health care planning, surveillance systems, and public health improvement.
- Investigates diseases or parasites to determine cause and risk factors, progress, life cycle, or mode of transmission.
- Educates healthcare workers, patients, and the public about infectious and communicable diseases, including disease transmission and prevention.
- Monitors and reports incidents of infectious diseases to local and state health agencies.
- Plans and directs studies to investigate human or animal disease, preventive methods, and treatments for disease.
- Provides expertise in the design, management and evaluation of study protocols and health status questionnaires, sample selection, and analysis.
- Writes articles for publication in professional journals.
- Identifies and analyzes public health issues related to foodborne parasitic diseases and their impact on public policies, scientific studies, or surveys.
- Writes grant applications to fund epidemiologic research.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
- Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
- Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Seeing clearly up close
- Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
- Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
Work Hours and Travel
- Regular working hours and limited travel
Specialty and Similar Careers
Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
- Chronic Disease Epidemiologist
- Communicable Diseases Specialist
- Environmental Epidemiologist — Studies the environmental exposures that contribute to or protect against injuries, illnesses, developmental conditions, disabilities, and deaths; and identification of public health and health care actions to manage the risks associated with harmful exposure.
- Epidemiology Investigator — Performs field investigations of endemic or epidemic situations of infectious or chronic diseases and other health conditions and related environmental public health problems in order to make determinations regarding causes, spread and prevention of disease.
- Infection Control Practitioner (ICP)
- Nurse Epidemiologist
- Public Health Epidemiologist
- Research Epidemiologist
- State Epidemiologist
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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