Epidemiologist
Investigate disease outbreaks and shape public health policy.
Epidemiologist Salary in Canada
Epidemiologists in Canada earn about $70,000 at entry level and around $130,000 in senior roles.
- Entry level: $70,000
- Senior level: $130,000
Public Health Agency of Canada and provincial ministries are the biggest employers.
About the Career
Public health grew significantly after 2020, but PHAC cut about 10% of its workforce in 2025-26 as part of federal spending reductions - provincial health agencies, hospitals and research roles remain key.
Job Outlook
Stable demand. Public health grew significantly after 2020, but PHAC cut about 10% of its workforce in 2025-26 as part of federal spending reductions - provincial health agencies, hospitals and research roles remain key.
How to Get There
- BSc (Health Sci/Biology) + MPH (Master of Public Health)
- Time to career: 6 years post-Grade 12
Degrees That Lead Here
- Health Sciences – 95%+ average plus strong supplemental - Canada's most competitive undergrad
- Life Sciences – high 80s to low 90s depending on school
- Public Health – high 70s to high 80s
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.