Average Food Scientists And Technologists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Food Scientists And Technologists is $85,310 per year. The middle 50% earn between $65,240 and $111,700, with 14,370 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 37 states and 63 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Food Scientists And Technologists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $49,580
- 25th
- $65,240
- Median
- $85,310
- 75th
- $111,700
- 90th
- $141,860
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two food scientists and technologists at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for food scientists and technologists from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +6.5%
- 1,000 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 1,200
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for food scientists and technologists.
Where Food Scientists And Technologists earn the most
Location matters for pay. The top-paying state is noticeably above the national median, so relocating to a higher-paying market can meaningfully boost earnings. Right now, the top-paying state is New Jersey at $102,630, about 20.3% above the national median. At the metro level, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA leads with a median of $105,670.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $102,630 | 880 |
| District of Columbia | $102,500 | N/A |
| Missouri | $101,570 | 610 |
| Alabama | $99,170 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $99,140 | N/A |
| Washington | $96,020 | 310 |
| New York | $95,710 | 880 |
| Minnesota | $94,360 | N/A |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $105,670 | 360 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $103,810 | 50 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $102,630 | 1,120 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $102,570 | 40 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $102,270 | 360 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $101,770 | 170 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $101,740 | 190 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $101,070 | 390 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see food scientists and technologists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Food Scientists And Technologists rose from $68,970 to $85,310, a gain of +23.7% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $68,970 would need to be worth $84,626 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $85,310 is $684 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +0.8% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 23.7%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +23.7%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- +0.8%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Food Scientists And Technologists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $68,970
- 2020
- $73,450
- 2021
- $78,340
- 2022
- $79,860
- 2023
- $82,090
- 2024
- $85,310
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Epidemiologists
- $83,980
- Microbiologists
- $87,330
- Life Scientists, All Other
- $87,800
- Animal Scientists
- $79,120
- Biological Scientists, All Other
- $93,330
- Soil And Plant Scientists
- $71,410
- Foresters
- $70,660
Common salary questions for Food Scientists And Technologists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Food Scientists And Technologists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.