Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 19-4013

Food Science Technicians

Median pay sits 56% below the mid peer in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations (neighbors include Political Scientists, Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers, Psychologists, All Other, Sociologists).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Food Science Technicians: Political Scientists ($142K) , Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers ($102K) , Psychologists, All Other ($111K) , Sociologists ($106K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Food Science Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 19-4013 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics
  2. 2. Measure, test, or weigh bottles, cans, or other containers to ensure that hardness, strength, or dimensions meet specifications
  3. 3. Maintain records of testing results or other documents as required by state or other governing agencies
  4. 4. Monitor and control temperature of products
  5. 5. Analyze test results to classify products or compare results with standard tables
  6. 6. Record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports
  7. 7. Prepare or incubate slides with cell cultures
  8. 8. Perform regular maintenance of laboratory equipment by inspecting, calibrating, cleaning, or sterilizing
  9. 9. Examine chemical or biological samples to identify cell structures or to locate bacteria or extraneous material, using a microscope
  10. 10. Conduct standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, or preservatives to ensure compliance with standards and regulations regarding…
  11. 11. Mix, blend, or cultivate ingredients to make reagents or to manufacture food or beverage products
  12. 12. Train newly hired laboratory personnel

Food Science Technicians: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 19-4013 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Food Production. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 3.8
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.5
  3. 3. Writing 3.5
  4. 4. Speaking 3.5
  5. 5. Science 3.3
  6. 6. Critical Thinking 3.3
  7. 7. Monitoring 3.1
  8. 8. Coordination 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Food Production 3.8
  2. 2. Production and Processing 3.7
  3. 3. Chemistry 3.5
  4. 4. English Language 3.4
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 3.1
  6. 6. Biology 3.1
Pay vs Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations peers
-56%
vs mid peer median $117,790
This role $52,130/yr
$52K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
3,200
Annual openings
14,600
Estimated US jobs
Political Scientists
Highest-pay peer · $142K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Associate's degree

Top Paying States for Food Science Technicians

1. Virginia $65,360
2. Nevada $59,070
3. Vermont $60,980
4. Colorado $58,540
5. Kentucky $64,770
6. Minnesota $57,940
7. Florida $58,500
8. Washington $62,070
9. Illinois $60,820
10. Missouri $59,570

Other Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations titles

  1. 1. Psychologists, All Other $110,840
  2. 2. Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $101,920
  3. 3. Sociologists $106,030
  4. 4. Materials Scientists $117,790
  5. 5. Physical Scientists, All Other $122,570
  6. 6. Political Scientists $142,080

Among Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations peers on this card, Food Science Technicians sits 56% below the mid peer median ($117,790). Its own median is $52,130.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 3,200 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Virginia at $65,360. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Political Scientists at $142,080. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Food Science Technicians pay-rank #47 in Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

On the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table (48 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Food Science Technicians lands at #47, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Food Science Technicians pays 56% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Food Science Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 19-4013

Virginia · top state for Food Science Technicians

$65K published median

Nevada · #2 state pay

$59K · behind Virginia

Political Scientists

Highest-pay peer vs Food Science Technicians · $142K

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

Lower-pay peer beside Food Science Technicians · $102K

Compare Food Science Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Food Science Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Food Science Technicians

Against another occupation

Political Scientists card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Food Science Technicians land on the Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations median table? ▼
Food Science Technicians is pay-rank #47 of 48 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians ($53K), Forest and Conservation Technicians ($55K), Agricultural Technicians ($50K), Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health ($55K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do food science technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Food Science Technicians. Leading ones include: Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics; Measure, test, or weigh bottles, cans, or other containers to ensure that hardness, strength, or dimensions meet specifications; Maintain records of testing results or other documents as required by state or other governing agencies; Monitor and control temperature of products. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for food science technicians? ▼
For SOC 19-4013, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (3.8), Active Listening (3.5), Writing (3.5), Speaking (3.5). Knowledge areas emphasize Food Production, Production and Processing, Chemistry. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Food Science Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $52,130 as the national median for Food Science Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $39,820 to $78,820. Beside Political Scientists ($142,080), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Food Science Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Food Science Technicians is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 3,200. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Food Science Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns Associate's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Food Science Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Food Science Technicians? ▼
Virginia ($65,360), Nevada ($59,070), Vermont ($60,980) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Food Science Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 19-4013. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Food Science Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics