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Work with food scientists or technologists to perform standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine physical or chemical properties of food or beverage products. Includes technicians who assist in research and development of production technology, quality control, packaging, processing, and use of foods.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Food Science Technicians:
Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
---|---|---|---|---|
14,350 | 3.7 % | $ 24.68 | $ 51,320 | 1.1 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Food Science Technicians:
Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hourly Wage | $ 17.33 | $ 18.82 | $ 23.01 | $ 28.94 | $ 34.31 |
Annual Wage (2) | $ 36,050 | $ 39,140 | $ 47,860 | $ 60,180 | $ 71,370 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Food Science Technicians are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Food Science Technicians, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Food Science Technicians:
Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dairy Product Manufacturing | 2,210 | 1.41 | $ 23.71 | $ 49,310 |
Other Food Manufacturing | 1,750 | 0.70 | $ 24.91 | $ 51,800 |
Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 1,270 | 0.24 | $ 20.46 | $ 42,550 |
Beverage Manufacturing | 1,260 | 0.41 | $ 27.24 | $ 56,660 |
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 1,250 | 0.73 | $ 22.38 | $ 46,560 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Food Science Technicians:
Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dairy Product Manufacturing | 2,210 | 1.41 | $ 23.71 | $ 49,310 |
Grain and Oilseed Milling | 770 | 1.22 | $ 25.45 | $ 52,940 |
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 1,250 | 0.73 | $ 22.38 | $ 46,560 |
Other Food Manufacturing | 1,750 | 0.70 | $ 24.91 | $ 51,800 |
Beverage Manufacturing | 1,260 | 0.41 | $ 27.24 | $ 56,660 |
Top paying industries for Food Science Technicians:
Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Management of Companies and Enterprises | 700 | 0.03 | $ 30.81 | $ 64,080 |
Warehousing and Storage | 80 | (7) | $ 28.21 | $ 58,680 |
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | 1,060 | 0.11 | $ 28.20 | $ 58,650 |
Scientific Research and Development Services | 490 | 0.06 | $ 27.43 | $ 57,060 |
Beverage Manufacturing | 1,260 | 0.41 | $ 27.24 | $ 56,660 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Food Science Technicians are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Food Science Technicians, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Food Science Technicians:
State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
California | 3,360 | 0.19 | 1.96 | $ 24.88 | $ 51,760 |
Texas | 1,770 | 0.14 | 1.40 | $ 25.26 | $ 52,530 |
New Jersey | 920 | 0.22 | 2.29 | $ 29.35 | $ 61,050 |
Wisconsin | 860 | 0.31 | 3.15 | $ 23.37 | $ 48,620 |
Pennsylvania | 760 | 0.13 | 1.35 | $ 22.39 | $ 46,580 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Science Technicians:
State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oregon | 660 | 0.35 | 3.56 | $ 21.44 | $ 44,590 |
Wisconsin | 860 | 0.31 | 3.15 | $ 23.37 | $ 48,620 |
South Dakota | 130 | 0.30 | 3.04 | $ 20.29 | $ 42,190 |
Nebraska | 280 | 0.29 | 2.99 | $ 20.35 | $ 42,330 |
Iowa | 350 | 0.23 | 2.38 | $ 22.34 | $ 46,470 |
Top paying states for Food Science Technicians:
State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ohio | 170 | 0.03 | 0.32 | $ 30.55 | $ 63,550 |
Virginia | 150 | 0.04 | 0.40 | $ 30.14 | $ 62,680 |
Colorado | 110 | 0.04 | 0.41 | $ 29.64 | $ 61,650 |
New Jersey | 920 | 0.22 | 2.29 | $ 29.35 | $ 61,050 |
Massachusetts | 110 | 0.03 | 0.32 | $ 27.65 | $ 57,510 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Food Science Technicians:
Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 770 | 0.13 | 1.31 | $ 25.53 | $ 53,100 |
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 700 | 0.08 | 0.79 | $ 29.67 | $ 61,710 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 620 | 0.16 | 1.69 | $ 26.24 | $ 54,590 |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 380 | 0.14 | 1.45 | $ 28.30 | $ 58,870 |
St. Louis, MO-IL | 370 | 0.28 | 2.90 | $ 28.52 | $ 59,330 |
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 360 | 0.12 | 1.21 | $ 27.79 | $ 57,800 |
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 350 | 0.13 | 1.29 | $ 25.88 | $ 53,830 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 330 | 0.14 | 1.41 | $ 29.36 | $ 61,060 |
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 270 | 0.23 | 2.35 | $ 23.29 | $ 48,430 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 250 | 0.16 | 1.61 | $ 23.22 | $ 48,310 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Science Technicians:
Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Merced, CA | 110 | 1.48 | 15.22 | $ 23.94 | $ 49,790 |
Napa, CA | 110 | 1.44 | 14.87 | $ 24.39 | $ 50,730 |
Visalia-Porterville, CA | 210 | 1.28 | 13.17 | $ 24.47 | $ 50,900 |
Gainesville, GA | 90 | 0.96 | 9.93 | $ 19.45 | $ 40,450 |
Modesto, CA | 180 | 0.96 | 9.91 | $ 23.82 | $ 49,540 |
Wausau, WI | 60 | 0.86 | 8.90 | $ 20.55 | $ 42,740 |
Lebanon, PA | 40 | 0.85 | 8.79 | $ 20.19 | $ 41,990 |
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 70 | 0.84 | 8.60 | $ 22.56 | $ 46,930 |
Santa Rosa, CA | 150 | 0.73 | 7.54 | $ 26.30 | $ 54,700 |
Sherman-Denison, TX | 30 | 0.68 | 6.99 | $ 21.52 | $ 44,750 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Food Science Technicians:
Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rochester, NY | 70 | 0.15 | 1.54 | $ 32.50 | $ 67,610 |
Jacksonville, FL | 90 | 0.13 | 1.35 | $ 32.25 | $ 67,080 |
Columbus, OH | 50 | 0.05 | 0.50 | $ 31.44 | $ 65,400 |
Austin-Round Rock, TX | 80 | 0.07 | 0.73 | $ 30.99 | $ 64,450 |
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 700 | 0.08 | 0.79 | $ 29.67 | $ 61,710 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 330 | 0.14 | 1.41 | $ 29.36 | $ 61,060 |
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 70 | 0.07 | 0.72 | $ 29.35 | $ 61,050 |
Syracuse, NY | 40 | 0.14 | 1.43 | $ 29.28 | $ 60,900 |
Cedar Rapids, IA | 30 | 0.24 | 2.50 | $ 29.26 | $ 60,850 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 80 | 0.07 | 0.71 | $ 29.11 | $ 60,550 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Food Science Technicians:
Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 0.75 | 7.73 | $ 23.89 | $ 49,700 |
Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 1.25 | 12.88 | $ 19.42 | $ 40,390 |
North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.47 | 4.84 | $ 19.77 | $ 41,110 |
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.57 | 5.87 | $ 23.39 | $ 48,660 |
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.41 | 4.24 | $ 20.30 | $ 42,220 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Food Science Technicians:
Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 1.25 | 12.88 | $ 19.42 | $ 40,390 |
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 0.75 | 7.73 | $ 23.89 | $ 49,700 |
Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.60 | 6.17 | $ 22.23 | $ 46,240 |
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.57 | 5.87 | $ 23.39 | $ 48,660 |
East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.55 | 5.62 | $ 21.27 | $ 44,240 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Food Science Technicians:
Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.50 | 5.10 | $ 26.03 | $ 54,140 |
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.23 | 2.34 | $ 24.17 | $ 50,270 |
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 0.75 | 7.73 | $ 23.89 | $ 49,700 |
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.23 | 2.39 | $ 23.50 | $ 48,870 |
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.57 | 5.87 | $ 23.39 | $ 48,660 |
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.
(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 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023