Food Scientists and Technologists Salary: $85,310 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 14,370 food scientists and technologists work nationally, and $85,310 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 29% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 7.6% annual growth.
Food Scientists and Technologists: what the data shows
Common questions about food scientists and technologists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a food scientists and technologists?
Food Scientists and Technologists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-1012.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 14,370 workers.
What does a food scientists and technologists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Documenting/Recording Information, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a food scientists and technologists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $85,310 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $94,315 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $58,960 |
| 25th percentile | $70,598 |
| Median (50th) | $87,803 |
| 75th percentile | $109,692 |
| 90th percentile | $137,570 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Writing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Food Production, Biology, Chemistry, Production and Processing. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is food scientists and technologists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 7.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 44.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 108.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 14,370.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do food scientists and technologistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 14,370 | 19.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 13,660 | 18.2% |
| Manufacturing | 7,200 | 9.6% |
| Food Manufacturing | 6,290 | 8.4% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,870 | 3.8% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,870 | 3.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Food Scientists and Technologists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 26,870 | $35,430 |
| Food Batchmakers | 171,660 | $40,790 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 888,770 | $34,220 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 19,500 | $42,730 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 27,660 | $40,550 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Food Scientists and Technologists workforce.
Employment Over Time
14,370 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Food Scientists and Technologists grew from 2,820 in 2009 to 9,120 in 2025 (223.4%).
Historical employment for Food Scientists and Technologists from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$85,310 Median pay (BLS national)
Food Scientists and Technologists earn $85,310 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Salary distribution for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Employment Growth Projections
7.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
13,161 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 44.3%
18,992 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 108.3%
This occupation is projected to grow at 7.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Food Scientists and Technologists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Food Scientists and Technologists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Food Scientists and Technologists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 2,350 employees, $91,820 avg wage
- NJ: 880 employees, $105,490 avg wage
- NY: 880 employees, $98,190 avg wage
- TX: 780 employees, $92,070 avg wage
- IL: 720 employees, $95,300 avg wage
- GA: 680 employees, $78,210 avg wage
- MO: 610 employees, $104,060 avg wage
- WI: 510 employees, $81,230 avg wage
- PA: 430 employees, $83,770 avg wage
- MI: 430 employees, $96,860 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,120 employees, $106,560 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 620 employees, $91,510 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 570 employees, $101,070 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 390 employees, $89,860 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 390 employees, $100,380 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 360 employees, $110,310 avg wage
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 360 employees, $109,660 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 250 employees, $96,200 avg wage
- Kansas City, MO-KS: 190 employees, $103,710 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 180 employees, $82,790 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Food Scientists and Technologists in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Food Scientists and Technologists is about 14,370 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Food Scientists and Technologists in 2023 were Engineering, Biology, Chemistry.
Common majors for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Food Scientists and Technologists workers.
Education level distribution for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Skills
Food Scientists and Technologists need many skills, but most especially Writing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking.
Required skills for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Food Scientists and Technologists include Food Production, Biology, Chemistry, Production and Processing, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Food Scientists and Technologists include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning, Near Vision, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Food Scientists and Technologists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Food Scientists and Technologists.
Daily Activities
Food Scientists and Technologists spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Documenting/Recording Information, Analyzing Data or Information, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Food Scientists and Technologists.
About
Food Scientists and Technologists
Food Scientists and Technologists earn $85,310 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
19-1012 - Food Scientists and Technologists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Food Scientists and Technologists reports an average salary of $94,315.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 14,370 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 7.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.