Career profile · 19-1012
Food Scientists and Technologists
Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.
What the work can involve
- Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.
- Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing, and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.
- Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.
- Develop food standards and production specifications, safety and sanitary regulations, and waste management and water supply specifications.
- Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.
- Study the structure and composition of food or the changes foods undergo in storage and processing.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This O*NET group commonly calls for substantial preparation, often including a bachelor’s degree or considerable relevant experience. An introductory vocational course alone may not provide an entry route.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Learning
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Science
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Production and Processing
- Food Production
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Mathematics
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Getting Information
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 40.9%08/2025 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Once a month or more but not every week | 33.3%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 76.2%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Once a year or more but not every month | 47.6%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Sitting | About half the time | 52.4%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Standing | About half the time | 52.4%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Less than half the time | 40.9%08/2025 · sample 22 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 50.0%08/2025 · sample 22 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 47.6%08/2025 · sample 21 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 72.7%08/2025 · sample 22 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Analytical or scientific software: BioDiscovery ImaGene, Image analysis software, Insightful S-PLUS, MDS Analytical Technologies GenePix Pro
- Business intelligence and data analysis software: Tableau
- Customer relationship management CRM software: Oracle Eloqua
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access, PathogenTracker, Structured query language SQL, U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA National Nutrient Database
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software
- Object or component oriented development software: R
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Sales and marketing software: HubSpot software, Marketo Marketing Automation
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for food scientists and technologists
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 39 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $97,480 | $46.87 | 60 |
| Arizona | $90,450 | $43.49 | Not published |
| Arkansas | $84,330 | $40.54 | 310 |
| California | $93,950 | $45.17 | 2,210 |
| Colorado | $99,580 | $47.87 | 320 |
| Florida | $101,160 | $48.64 | 170 |
| Georgia | $86,050 | $41.37 | 560 |
| Idaho | $77,440 | $37.23 | 140 |
| Illinois | $94,340 | $45.35 | 780 |
| Indiana | $69,350 | $33.34 | 300 |
| Iowa | $82,010 | $39.43 | 380 |
| Kansas | $85,130 | $40.93 | 380 |
| Kentucky | $98,710 | $47.46 | 170 |
| Maine | $89,480 | $43.02 | 30 |
| Maryland | $93,330 | $44.87 | 270 |
| Massachusetts | $103,580 | $49.80 | 420 |
| Michigan | $76,940 | $36.99 | 430 |
| Minnesota | $99,280 | $47.73 | 670 |
| Missouri | $105,930 | $50.93 | 390 |
| Montana | $52,230 | $25.11 | 30 |
| Nebraska | $72,230 | $34.72 | 230 |
| Nevada | $80,580 | $38.74 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $104,340 | $50.16 | 630 |
| New Mexico | $79,130 | $38.04 | 30 |
| New York | $94,070 | $45.23 | 660 |
| North Carolina | $79,840 | $38.38 | 230 |
| Ohio | $76,780 | $36.92 | 270 |
| Oklahoma | $84,750 | $40.74 | 50 |
| Oregon | $81,660 | $39.26 | 270 |
| Pennsylvania | $83,380 | $40.09 | 400 |
| Rhode Island | $87,970 | $42.29 | 40 |
| South Carolina | $108,660 | $52.24 | 90 |
| South Dakota | $71,330 | $34.29 | 90 |
| Tennessee | $81,760 | $39.31 | 70 |
| Texas | $90,610 | $43.56 | 840 |
| Utah | $73,280 | $35.23 | 120 |
| Virginia | $93,590 | $44.99 | 70 |
| Washington | $94,990 | $45.67 | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $83,020 | $39.91 | 410 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 73 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 19-1012.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.