Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

19-1012 Food Scientists and Technologists

Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.

National estimates for Food Scientists and Technologists
Industry profile for Food Scientists and Technologists
Geographic profile for Food Scientists and Technologists

National estimates for Food Scientists and Technologists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Food Scientists and Technologists:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
13,080	3.9 %	$ 38.55	$ 80,190	1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Food Scientists and Technologists:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$ 19.83	$ 26.11	$ 35.31	$ 48.02	$ 62.71
Annual Wage (2)	$ 41,240	$ 54,300	$ 73,450	$ 99,870	$ 130,430

Industry profile for Food Scientists and Technologists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Food Scientists and Technologists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Food Scientists and Technologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Food Scientists and Technologists:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Other Food Manufacturing	2,330	1.02	$ 41.18	$ 85,650
Management of Companies and Enterprises	1,610	0.07	$ 45.59	$ 94,820
Dairy Product Manufacturing	1,310	0.87	$ 34.64	$ 72,050
Grain and Oilseed Milling	900	1.46	$ 43.51	$ 90,500
Scientific Research and Development Services	890	0.12	$ 42.41	$ 88,220

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Food Scientists and Technologists:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Grain and Oilseed Milling	900	1.46	$ 43.51	$ 90,500
Other Food Manufacturing	2,330	1.02	$ 41.18	$ 85,650
Dairy Product Manufacturing	1,310	0.87	$ 34.64	$ 72,050
Animal Food Manufacturing	330	0.51	$ 35.41	$ 73,660
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	760	0.46	$ 36.76	$ 76,450

Top paying industries for Food Scientists and Technologists:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)	80	(7)	$ 51.71	$ 107,560
Management of Companies and Enterprises	1,610	0.07	$ 45.59	$ 94,820
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	50	0.01	$ 44.47	$ 92,490
Grain and Oilseed Milling	900	1.46	$ 43.51	$ 90,500
Scientific Research and Development Services	890	0.12	$ 42.41	$ 88,220

Geographic profile for Food Scientists and Technologists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Food Scientists and Technologists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Food Scientists and Technologists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in Food Scientists and Technologists:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
California	1,690	0.10	1.09	$ 40.75	$ 84,750
New Jersey	1,240	0.33	3.50	$ 40.53	$ 84,300
Illinois	1,000	0.18	1.89	$ 45.35	$ 94,330
Ohio	770	0.15	1.60	$ 47.09	$ 97,960
Minnesota	640	0.24	2.53	$ 38.38	$ 79,830

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Scientists and Technologists:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Nebraska	490	0.52	5.50	$ 37.80	$ 78,630
New Jersey	1,240	0.33	3.50	$ 40.53	$ 84,300
Arkansas	340	0.29	3.07	$ 33.70	$ 70,110
Kansas	320	0.24	2.54	$ 44.89	$ 93,370
Minnesota	640	0.24	2.53	$ 38.38	$ 79,830

Top paying states for Food Scientists and Technologists:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Ohio	770	0.15	1.60	$ 47.09	$ 97,960
Connecticut	40	0.02	0.25	$ 46.57	$ 96,880
Illinois	1,000	0.18	1.89	$ 45.35	$ 94,330
Kansas	320	0.24	2.54	$ 44.89	$ 93,370
Maryland	230	0.09	0.96	$ 44.45	$ 92,470

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Food Scientists and Technologists:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	1,250	0.14	1.50	$ 41.79	$ 86,930
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	850	0.20	2.08	$ 45.81	$ 95,290
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	500	0.09	0.91	$ 40.11	$ 83,420
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	360	0.19	2.07	$ 42.38	$ 88,160
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	350	0.75	7.97	$ 40.36	$ 83,940
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	350	0.13	1.41	$ 38.30	$ 79,650
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO	280	1.13	11.97	$ 34.85	$ 72,490
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	260	0.11	1.17	$ 48.65	$ 101,180
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	240	0.07	0.72	$ 38.52	$ 80,130
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	200	0.19	2.07	$ 41.39	$ 86,090

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Scientists and Technologists:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO	280	1.13	11.97	$ 34.85	$ 72,490
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ	60	1.10	11.74	$ 37.90	$ 78,830
Napa, CA	60	0.87	9.26	$ 32.83	$ 68,280
Merced, CA	50	0.75	7.97	$ 44.28	$ 92,100
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA	350	0.75	7.97	$ 40.36	$ 83,940
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN	60	0.69	7.29	(8)	(8)
Visalia-Porterville, CA	90	0.62	6.58	$ 39.94	$ 83,080
Logan, UT-ID	30	0.56	5.99	$ 22.48	$ 46,760
Modesto, CA	90	0.50	5.31	$ 34.65	$ 72,070
St. Cloud, MN	40	0.38	3.99	(8)	(8)

Top paying metropolitan areas for Food Scientists and Technologists:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Wichita, KS	60	0.20	2.09	$ 51.01	$ 106,090
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	260	0.11	1.17	$ 48.65	$ 101,180
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	160	0.05	0.56	$ 47.17	$ 98,110
St. Louis, MO-IL	110	0.08	0.88	$ 46.99	$ 97,730
Santa Rosa, CA	40	0.21	2.22	$ 46.64	$ 97,000
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	90	0.07	0.75	$ 46.17	$ 96,040
Kansas City, MO-KS	80	0.08	0.81	$ 45.96	$ 95,590
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	850	0.20	2.08	$ 45.81	$ 95,290
Merced, CA	50	0.75	7.97	$ 44.28	$ 92,100
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	30	0.25	2.62	$ 43.62	$ 90,730

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Food Scientists and Technologists:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area	160	1.10	11.70	$ 35.72	$ 74,300
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area	110	0.59	6.24	$ 39.99	$ 83,180
Kansas nonmetropolitan area	110	0.30	3.20	(8)	(8)
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area	90	0.41	4.41	$ 35.39	$ 73,610
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area	60	0.23	2.49	(8)	(8)

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Scientists and Technologists:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area	160	1.10	11.70	$ 35.72	$ 74,300
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area	110	0.59	6.24	$ 39.99	$ 83,180
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area	90	0.41	4.41	$ 35.39	$ 73,610
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area	50	0.40	4.29	(8)	(8)
Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area	40	0.35	3.77	$ 42.37	$ 88,120

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Food Scientists and Technologists:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous)	(8)	(8)	(8)	$ 52.45	$ 109,090
Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area	40	0.35	3.77	$ 42.37	$ 88,120
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area	30	0.14	1.51	$ 40.30	$ 83,830
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area	110	0.59	6.24	$ 39.99	$ 83,180
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area	160	1.10	11.70	$ 35.72	$ 74,300

About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.

(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.

Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021