Food Science Technicians

Median salary

$52,130

Average salary

$56,660

Employment

14,600

Projected growth

4.8% growth

Annual openings

3,200

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

What Food Science Technicians Do

Work with food scientists or technologists to perform standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine physical or chemical properties of food or beverage products. Includes technicians who assist in research and development of production technology, quality control, packaging, processing, and use of foods.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 6.7%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Food Productionimportance 3.8/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.7/5
Chemistryimportance 3.5/5
English Languageimportance 3.4/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.1/5
Biologyimportance 3.1/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.0/5
Administrativeimportance 2.6/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.9/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.8/5
E-Mail4.7/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
Contact With Others4.6/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Nuclear Medicine Technologists93% skill match
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping92% skill match
Slaughterers and Meat Packers92% skill match
Forest and Conservation Technicians92% skill match
Log Graders and Scalers92% skill match
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors92% skill match
Surveyors91% skill match
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians91% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Instructingimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 2.8/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Integrity
Achievement Orientation
Cooperation
Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalHigh
InvestigativeMedium
EnterprisingLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where food science technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Twin Falls, ID41.85× national avg
2Merced, CA28.14× national avg
3Napa, CA19.44× national avg
4Visalia, CA13.58× national avg
5Hanford-Corcoran, CA13.31× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

Nuclear Medicine TechnologistsCareer Change
Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansCareer Change
Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansCareer Change
Dental HygienistsCareer Change

See the full career path from Food Science Technicians →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.