Recommended citation: The State of the Epidemiology Workforce. Bethesda, MD: de Beaumont Foundation; 2025. https://debeaumont.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/PHWINS-Workforce-Epidemiology-Data-Brief.pdf
Epidemiologists play a vital role in protecting community health, yet nearly 3 in 10 plan to leave their agency within the next year, and more than 1 in 5 intend to leave public health entirely, according to PH WINS 2024. While many report strong job satisfaction and supportive work environments, challenges like burnout, limited advancement, and workload strain are widespread. By addressing these issues and building on the strengths of this skilled workforce, public health agencies can improve retention and sustain essential epidemiologic capacity. Read the data brief, published in June 2025.
Key findings:
- Most epidemiologists are relatively new to their roles—77% have been in their current position for five years or less, and 58% have worked at their current agency for five years or less
- 27% plan to leave their agency within the next year, and 22% intend to leave public health entirely
- Epidemiologists report high levels of satisfaction with their job (86%), supervisors (86%), and work units (89%)