How to Become a Food Scientist
Apply chemistry and microbiology to make food safer, healthier, and longer lasting. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $88,720 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$88,720/yr
Middle half
$68,810 to $116,650
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
1,200
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Food Chemistry
- Product Development
- Quality Assurance
- Science
- Sensory Evaluation
Helpful certifications
- CFS (IFT Certified Food Scientist)
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
1/100
Work-life balance
53/100
Stress level
54/100
Related careers
- Physicist$172,250 median
- Natural Sciences Manager$167,220 median
- Astronomer$128,820 median
- Biochemist$127,410 median
- Biostatistician$105,650 median
- Statistician$105,650 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Food Scientist make?
The median pay for a Food Scientist is $88,720 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $68,810 and $116,650 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Food Scientist?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Food Science, Chemistry, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Microbiology.
Is Food Scientist a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 1,200 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Food Scientist use most?
Common skills for this role are Food Chemistry, Product Development, Quality Assurance, Science, and Sensory Evaluation.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).