Epidemiologist
Healthcare
Investigate and describe the determinants and distribution of disease, disability, or health outcomes. May develop the means for prevention and control.
Picture the job
Where you'd usually workA data and analysis desk
- Mostly indoors
- Sitting for most of the day
- Dealing with customers or the public
- Regular working hours
An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.
In Malaysia
Most Malaysian epidemiologists are doctors trained in public health who work in KKM district and state health departments, running disease surveillance and outbreak control (dengue, TB, COVID-19). Non-medical epidemiologists and biostatisticians work mainly in KKM research institutes and universities, so the medical route is the main way into the field.
- How people get into it here
- Main route: SPM (science) → medical degree → housemanship → medical officer in district health offices → Master of Public Health / Doctor of Public Health (e.g. UM, UKM, USM, UPM) → Public Health Medicine specialist. Non-medical route: a science or statistics degree → Master's in epidemiology/biostatistics → research posts at institutes such as the Institute for Public Health or universities.
- Government post
- Pegawai Perubatan UD9 → Pakar Kesihatan Awam UD15 (KKM district/state health departments) · starts at RM3,130 a month
Sources:spa.gov.mymmc.gov.my
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
Typical entry
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Matriculation
One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.
Asasi / Foundation
One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
Quick answers
How do you become an Epidemiologist in Malaysia?
Main route: SPM (science) → medical degree → housemanship → medical officer in district health offices → Master of Public Health / Doctor of Public Health (e.g. UM, UKM, USM, UPM) → Public Health Medicine specialist. Non-medical route: a science or statistics degree → Master's in epidemiology/biostatistics → research posts at institutes such as the Institute for Public Health or universities. Optional registration with Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), for the medical/public-health-specialist route only is available.
What should I study to become an Epidemiologist?
Related fields of study: Science and Allied Health. SPM subjects that help most: Additional Mathematics, Mathematics, Biology and Additional Science.
How much does an Epidemiologist earn in Malaysia?
We don't yet have a Malaysian source we can cite for Epidemiologist pay, so we show no figure.
Biotechnology & STEM · Career guide
Epidemiologist
Studies the distribution of disease and factors affecting population health.
Work overview based on O*NET occupation sources; Malaysian study examples and context are linked below. Actual requirements depend on the programme and post.
What does the work involve?
- Investigate disease patterns and health outcomes.
- Analyse data by time, place or population group.
- Contribute evidence for disease prevention and control.
Work settings and skills
Public-health research, disease surveillance or epidemiological analytics units.
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
Study areas and planning after SPM
Epidemiology, public health, biostatistics or a related health field.
Planning example: SPM → science pre-university or a diploma meeting programme requirements → a relevant bachelor's → job applications or research training. Check each programme's special requirements and each vacancy.
IMR conducts biomedical research, specialist diagnostics and training; its epidemiology unit also studies disease patterns and modelling.
These are study areas to explore, not verified admission rules for every programme. Check special requirements, recognition and curriculum directly with the institution.
Further study and professional checks
UPM offers thesis-based master's and PhD study with programme-specific admission rules. SPA's Research Officer Q9 scheme also accepts a relevant honours science bachelor's; postgraduate study is not required for every research post.
Check the actual vacancy before treating a qualification as sufficient. Study or training does not guarantee admission or employment.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Mathematics90%
Additional MathematicsMathematics
- Biology85%
BiologyAdditional Science
- Medicine and Dentistry80%
BiologyChemistry
- English Language80%
English
- Computers and Electronics71%
Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies
- Communications and Media69%
EnglishBahasa Melayu
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicHigh
- Leading or coordinating othersHigh
- Handling conflict situationsRarely
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherRarely
- Noisy environmentAlmost never
Where this job is heading
Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.
- Teach epidemiology to students in public health programs.
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.
What beginner adverts asked for
We read 28 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.
14 of 28 were internships
Allowance or pay, when stated
RM800 – RM2,000
17 of 28 adverts printed an amount: usually between RM800 and RM2,000 a month. Many print none.
Minimum CGPA asked
3.00 to 3.00
Stated in 2 adverts. Others did not state one.
Languages named
Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin
An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.
Related careers
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About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Epidemiologists
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org