Average Salary for Food Science Technicians
SOC 19-4013 · Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Food Science Technicians in the United States is $49,430 ($23.76/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $37,760 at the 10th percentile to $75,100 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 14,200 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 6.1% since 2021.
Median Annual
$49,430
Mean Annual
$54,400
10th Pct
$37,760
75th Pct
$60,940
Employment
14,200
Salary Distribution
$38k
10th
$44k
25th
$49k
Median
$61k
75th
$75k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $104,600 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $77,530 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $76,690 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $76,320 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $65,220 |
| Syracuse, NY | $64,830 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $64,760 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $63,710 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $63,390 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $62,590 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $62,340 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $61,850 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $60,780 |
| Columbus, OH | $60,670 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $60,540 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Mississippi | $64,600 |
| Illinois | $63,730 |
| Colorado | $59,450 |
| Virginia | $59,110 |
| Massachusetts | $57,400 |
| Missouri | $55,830 |
| Michigan | $53,480 |
| Tennessee | $52,710 |
| New York | $52,530 |
| Kentucky | $52,410 |
| New Jersey | $52,390 |
| Maryland | $51,690 |
| California | $50,960 |
| Minnesota | $50,380 |
| Wisconsin | $50,080 |
| Vermont | $49,970 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,050 |
| Oregon | $48,840 |
| Utah | $48,790 |
| Connecticut | $48,580 |
| Indiana | $48,060 |
| Iowa | $47,610 |
| Washington | $47,420 |
| Florida | $46,980 |
| Ohio | $46,830 |
| Nebraska | $46,450 |
| Arkansas | $46,400 |
| Texas | $46,170 |
| South Dakota | $46,000 |
| Idaho | $45,230 |
| North Carolina | $44,720 |
| New Mexico | $43,990 |
| Georgia | $41,840 |
| South Carolina | $39,300 |
| Kansas | $35,810 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,320 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Food Science Technicians broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $74,350 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $64,560 |
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $62,830 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $62,460 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $62,460 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $62,460 |
| Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | $58,810 |
| Beverage Manufacturing | $58,810 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | $57,790 |
| Temporary Help Services | $57,400 |
| Employment Services | $57,400 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers | $55,170 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | $55,170 |
| Retail Trade | $55,170 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $54,580 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $54,580 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $52,940 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $52,790 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | $51,840 |
| Dairy Product Manufacturing | $51,700 |
| Other Food Manufacturing | $51,060 |
| Wholesale Trade | $50,920 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $50,560 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $50,560 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $50,560 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $49,890 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $49,890 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $49,490 |
| Educational Services | $49,370 |
| Grain and Oilseed Milling | $49,300 |
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | $49,190 |
| Manufacturing | $49,130 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $48,940 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $48,940 |
| Educational Services | $48,940 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $48,790 |
| Food Manufacturing | $48,390 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | $48,200 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | $47,980 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $47,980 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $47,770 |
| Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | $47,230 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $47,180 |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | $46,940 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | $46,940 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | $46,850 |
| Animal Food Manufacturing | $45,820 |
| Special Food Services | $45,090 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $44,880 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | $44,880 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | $44,850 |
| Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | $44,040 |
| Support Activities for Crop Production | $43,770 |
| Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry | $40,180 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | $40,180 |
| Support Activities for Animal Production | $39,430 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $49,430 |
| 2023 | $49,090 |
| 2022 | $47,860 |
| 2021 | $46,590 |