Food Scientists and Technologists pay in the U.S.
$95,360avg. a year
$45.85 an hour · 13,060 employed
Food Scientists and Technologists in the U.S. earn an average of $95,360 a year and a median of $88,720. Pay is highest in Massachusetts ($116,780) and lowest in Montana ($57,790).
$88,720Median pay
$45.85Average hourly
+19%Avg. pay since 2020
13,060Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for food scientists and technologists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1420 jobs
Massachusetts
$116,780
$56.15 an hour
2630 jobs
New Jersey
$112,340
$54.01 an hour
390 jobs
South Carolina
$111,910
$53.80 an hour
4320 jobs
Colorado
$104,170
$50.08 an hour
5670 jobs
Minnesota
$103,960
$49.98 an hour
6390 jobs
Missouri
$103,780
$49.89 an hour
7780 jobs
Illinois
$103,030
$49.53 an hour
8170 jobs
Florida
$101,960
$49.02 an hour
9250 jobs
Washington
$101,900
$48.99 an hour
10270 jobs
Maryland
$100,610
$48.37 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Food Scientists and Technologists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $85k$85k–$90k$90k–$101k$101k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $120,200 | $57.79 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $113,320 | $54.48 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $110,580 | $53.17 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $110,190 | $52.98 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $109,960 | $52.86 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $108,090 | $51.96 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $108,070 | $51.96 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $107,530 | $51.70 |
Related jobs
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$116,840
- Biological Scientists, All Other$106,330
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$129,840
- Conservation Scientists$77,130
- Microbiologists$97,600
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$83,020
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Food Scientists and Technologists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $96,280 | $97,480 | 60 |
| Arizona | $89,580 | $90,450 | – |
| Arkansas | $98,310 | $84,330 | 310 |
| California | $97,980 | $93,950 | 2,210 |
| Colorado | $104,170 | $99,580 | 320 |
| Florida | $101,960 | $101,160 | 170 |
| Georgia | $88,710 | $86,050 | 560 |
| Idaho | $74,680 | $77,440 | 140 |
| Illinois | $103,030 | $94,340 | 780 |
| Indiana | $72,490 | $69,350 | 300 |
| Iowa | $82,570 | $82,010 | 380 |
| Kansas | $93,910 | $85,130 | 380 |
| Kentucky | $96,080 | $98,710 | 170 |
| Maine | $88,090 | $89,480 | 30 |
| Maryland | $100,610 | $93,330 | 270 |
| Massachusetts | $116,780 | $103,580 | 420 |
| Michigan | $85,700 | $76,940 | 430 |
| Minnesota | $103,960 | $99,280 | 670 |
| Missouri | $103,780 | $105,930 | 390 |
| Montana | $57,790 | $52,230 | 30 |
| Nebraska | $81,210 | $72,230 | 230 |
| Nevada | $82,220 | $80,580 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $112,340 | $104,340 | 630 |
| New Mexico | $76,070 | $79,130 | 30 |
| New York | $96,840 | $94,070 | 660 |
| North Carolina | $86,800 | $79,840 | 230 |
| Ohio | $78,810 | $76,780 | 270 |
| Oklahoma | $90,900 | $84,750 | 50 |
| Oregon | $84,820 | $81,660 | 270 |
| Pennsylvania | $86,640 | $83,380 | 400 |
| Rhode Island | $85,530 | $87,970 | 40 |
| South Carolina | $111,910 | $108,660 | 90 |
| South Dakota | $87,850 | $71,330 | 90 |
| Tennessee | $84,820 | $81,760 | 70 |
| Texas | $90,910 | $90,610 | 840 |
| Utah | $87,460 | $73,280 | 120 |
| Virginia | $100,340 | $93,590 | 70 |
| Washington | $101,900 | $94,990 | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $89,380 | $83,020 | 410 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$110,190
730 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$108,070
610 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$96,580
550 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$109,960
440 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$97,480
410 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$110,580
380 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$120,200
370 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$104,790
320 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do food scientists and technologists make?
The average is $95,360 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $88,720 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $45.85, and the median is $42.65 an hour.
Which state pays food scientists and technologists the most?
Massachusetts, with an average of $116,780 a year. The best-paying metro area is Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH at $120,200.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $52,920 a year, and the top 10% earn over $145,280.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-1012. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.