BLS metro-level wage data places Food Science Technicians pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA at a median of $58,640 per year ($28.19/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $52,130, Santa Rosa-Petaluma pays +12% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 110 food science technicianss are employed across the Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA in SOC 19-4013.

The Santa Rosa-Petaluma pay distribution spans from $49,040 at the 10th percentile to $80,190 at the 90th — a 1.6× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $51,270 and the 75th at $66,150, so half of Santa Rosa-Petaluma-based food science technicianss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide CA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.