19 Series · SOC 19-4013
Food Science Technicians Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $52,130
- Median / year
- +5.5%
- 2024→2025
- $78,820
- Top 10% earn
- +4.8%
- Growth '24–'34
- 14,600
- Estimated US jobs
Food Science Technicians earn a median of $52,130 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $52,130, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $39,820 (10th percentile) to $78,820 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 14,600 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Virginia ($65,360).
The pay verdict
Food Science Technicians earn a median of $52,130, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 38% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks #47 of 48 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 4.8% by 2034.
- $52,130
- Median annual wage
- Top 62%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #47 of 48
- in Life, Physical, and Social Science
- 2.0×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Virginia at $65,360. Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
Food Science Technicians (SOC 19-4013) has a national median of $52,130 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $39,820 to $78,820, and the published mean is $56,660. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 14,600 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 39 state or territory areas and 94 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $49,430 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $52,130 in May 2025, a rise of $2,700 (+5.5%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +4.8% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 3,200 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry, and BLS classifies its typical on-the-job preparation as moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Virginia pays the highest state median at $65,360, which is +25% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Columbus, OH at $86,300. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$52,130
per year
Median Hourly
$25.06/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$56,660
average
Employment
14,600
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Food Science Technicians pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$52,130 Bottom 38% higher than 38% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 (this entry) | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$52,130 · 38th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 19-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Food Science Technicians; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Medical Scientists, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $103410
- Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.5%, Median annual wage $90150
- Environmental Scient…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $82220
- Chemists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $91240
- Clinical and Counsel…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.2%, Median annual wage $100580
- Life, Physical, and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $62280
- Biological Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $57510
- School Psychologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $95990
- Chemical Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $60390
- Biological Scientist…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.2%, Median annual wage $98920
- Urban and Regional P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $89320
- Social Scientists an…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.7%, Median annual wage $101110
- Environmental Scienc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $55090
- Biochemists and Biop…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.8%, Median annual wage $127410
- Social Science Resea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $61990
- Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.5%, Median annual wage $61560
- Forest and Conservat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.2%, Median annual wage $54560
- Conservation Scienti…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $73010
- Geoscientists, Excep…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $101920
- Physical Scientists,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $122570
- Physicists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $172250
- Forensic Science Tec…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.8%, Median annual wage $72060
- Microbiologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $87990
- Psychologists, All O…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $110840
- Food Science Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.8%, Median annual wage $52130
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+4.8%
About as fast as average
Annual Openings
3,200
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+1,000
20,400 (2024) → 21,300 (2034)
Typical Education
Associate's degree
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
1.5/100K
Injury Rate
0.7/100
Danger Index
3.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Food Science Technicians roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Analyze test results to classify products or compare results with standard tables.
- ▸ Record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports.
- ▸ Prepare or incubate slides with cell cultures.
- ▸ Perform regular maintenance of laboratory equipment by inspecting, calibrating, cleaning, or sterilizing.
- ▸ Examine chemical or biological samples to identify cell structures or to locate bacteria or extraneous material, using a microscope.
- ▸ Conduct standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, or preservatives to ensure compliance with standards and regulations regarding factors such as color, texture, or nutrients.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Food Science Technicians pay history, 2021–2025
Published national median across 5 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $46,590 |
| 2022 | $47,860 |
| 2023 | $49,090 |
| 2024 | $49,430 |
| 2025 | $52,130 |
2021 median
$46,590
2025 median
$52,130
2021–2025 change
+$5,540 (+11.9%)
Avg/year
+2.8%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,590 | First banked release | 11,530 |
| May 2022 | $47,860 | +2.7% | 14,350 |
| May 2023 | $49,090 | +2.6% | 15,190 |
| May 2024 | $49,430 | +0.7% | 14,200 |
| May 2025 | $52,130 | +5.5% | 14,600 |
Across the 5 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $46,590 in May 2021 to $52,130 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2021–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.8% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 11,530 in May 2021 to 14,600 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 39 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $65,360 | +25% above national |
| 2 | Kentucky | $64,770 | +24% above national |
| 3 | Washington | $62,070 | +19% above national |
| 4 | Vermont | $60,980 | +17% above national |
| 5 | Illinois | $60,820 | +17% above national |
| 6 | Missouri | $59,570 | +14% above national |
| 7 | Nevada | $59,070 | +13% above national |
| 8 | Colorado | $58,540 | +12% above national |
| 9 | Florida | $58,500 | +12% above national |
| 10 | Minnesota | $57,940 | +11% above national |
| 11 | Maryland | $57,880 | +11% above national |
| 12 | Ohio | $57,060 | +9% above national |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $56,850 | +9% above national |
| 14 | New Jersey | $56,730 | +9% above national |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $55,690 | +7% above national |
| 16 | New York | $55,470 | +6% above national |
| 17 | California | $54,200 | +4% above national |
| 18 | Georgia | $53,150 | +2% above national |
| 19 | Michigan | $52,130 | same as national |
| 20 | Mississippi | $51,460 | 1% below national |
| 21 | Iowa | $50,740 | 3% below national |
| 22 | Oregon | $50,590 | 3% below national |
| 23 | Connecticut | $49,700 | 5% below national |
| 24 | Idaho | $48,980 | 6% below national |
| 25 | South Dakota | $48,760 | 6% below national |
| 26 | North Carolina | $48,640 | 7% below national |
| 27 | Nebraska | $48,530 | 7% below national |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $48,060 | 8% below national |
| 29 | Texas | $47,760 | 8% below national |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $47,240 | 9% below national |
| 31 | Arkansas | $46,810 | 10% below national |
| 32 | New Mexico | $46,500 | 11% below national |
| 33 | Utah | $45,110 | 13% below national |
| 34 | Indiana | $44,630 | 14% below national |
| 35 | Louisiana | $44,310 | 15% below national |
| 36 | Alabama | $40,940 | 21% below national |
| 37 | Kansas | $39,930 | 23% below national |
| 38 | South Carolina | $39,480 | 24% below national |
| 39 | Puerto Rico | $36,050 | 31% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 72 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus, OH | $86,300 | +66% above national |
| 2 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $84,320 | +62% above national |
| 3 | Jacksonville, FL | $83,030 | +59% above national |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $79,850 | +53% above national |
| 5 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $73,030 | +40% above national |
| 6 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $72,950 | +40% above national |
| 7 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $66,630 | +28% above national |
| 8 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $66,230 | +27% above national |
| 9 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $64,620 | +24% above national |
| 10 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $64,480 | +24% above national |
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $63,160 | +21% above national |
| 12 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $61,870 | +19% above national |
| 13 | Napa, CA | $61,430 | +18% above national |
| 14 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $61,410 | +18% above national |
| 15 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $60,980 | +17% above national |
| 16 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $60,320 | +16% above national |
| 17 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $60,020 | +15% above national |
| 18 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $59,650 | +14% above national |
| 19 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $59,580 | +14% above national |
| 20 | Reno, NV | $59,440 | +14% above national |
| 21 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $58,850 | +13% above national |
| 22 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $58,640 | +12% above national |
| 23 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $58,290 | +12% above national |
| 24 | Vallejo, CA | $57,630 | +11% above national |
| 25 | Modesto, CA | $56,220 | +8% above national |
| 26 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $55,090 | +6% above national |
| 27 | Rochester, NY | $54,970 | +5% above national |
| 28 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $54,570 | +5% above national |
| 29 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $54,410 | +4% above national |
| 30 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $53,960 | +4% above national |
| 31 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $53,530 | +3% above national |
| 32 | Rochester, MN | $53,210 | +2% above national |
| 33 | Lancaster, PA | $53,130 | +2% above national |
| 34 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $52,970 | +2% above national |
| 35 | Salinas, CA | $52,870 | +1% above national |
| 36 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $52,690 | +1% above national |
| 37 | Omaha, NE-IA | $52,160 | same as national |
| 38 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $51,570 | 1% below national |
| 39 | Chico, CA | $51,390 | 1% below national |
| 40 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $50,900 | 2% below national |
| 41 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $50,890 | 2% below national |
| 42 | Merced, CA | $50,750 | 3% below national |
| 43 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $50,710 | 3% below national |
| 44 | Vineland, NJ | $50,400 | 3% below national |
| 45 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $50,390 | 3% below national |
| 46 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $50,310 | 3% below national |
| 47 | Boise City, ID | $49,930 | 4% below national |
| 48 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $49,790 | 4% below national |
| 49 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $49,680 | 5% below national |
| 50 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $49,610 | 5% below national |
| 51 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $49,460 | 5% below national |
| 52 | Twin Falls, ID | $49,460 | 5% below national |
| 53 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $49,280 | 5% below national |
| 54 | Visalia, CA | $49,270 | 5% below national |
| 55 | Pittsburgh, PA | $48,970 | 6% below national |
| 56 | Appleton, WI | $48,960 | 6% below national |
| 57 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $48,820 | 6% below national |
| 58 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $48,550 | 7% below national |
| 59 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $48,480 | 7% below national |
| 60 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $48,100 | 8% below national |
| 61 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $48,060 | 8% below national |
| 62 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $48,040 | 8% below national |
| 63 | Madison, WI | $47,740 | 8% below national |
| 64 | Yakima, WA | $47,590 | 9% below national |
| 65 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $46,710 | 10% below national |
| 66 | Fresno, CA | $46,350 | 11% below national |
| 67 | Salem, OR | $45,200 | 13% below national |
| 68 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $44,900 | 14% below national |
| 69 | York-Hanover, PA | $44,720 | 14% below national |
| 70 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $44,550 | 15% below national |
| 71 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $43,710 | 16% below national |
| 72 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $36,060 | 31% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 19 (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Agricultural Technicians
SOC 19-4012
Animal Scientists
SOC 19-1011
Anthropologists and Archeologists
SOC 19-3091
Astronomers
SOC 19-2011
Atmospheric and Space Scientists
SOC 19-2021
Showing 5 of 47 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($52,130 here) and reported employment (14,600 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Food Science Technicians make? ▼
Where does Food Science Technicians pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Food Science Technicians the most? ▼
What education do Food Science Technicians need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Food Science Technicians? ▼
Is Food Science Technicians a good career? ▼
How does Food Science Technicians pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Food Science Technicians? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Food Science Technicians pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $63,270/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Virginia leads at $65,360/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.