How to become a Food Scientist or Technologist

Official title: Food Scientists and Technologists

Also called: Corporate Food Scientist, Food and Drug Research Scientist, Food Engineer, Food Safety Regulatory Manager, Food Scientist, Food Technologist, Formulator, Product Development Scientist, Research Chef, Research Scientist

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.

Main tasks

• Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.
• Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing, and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.
• Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.
• Develop food standards and production specifications, safety and sanitary regulations, and waste management and water supply specifications.
• Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.
• Study the structure and composition of food or the changes foods undergo in storage and processing.
• Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.
• Test new products for flavor, texture, color, nutritional content, and adherence to government and industry standards.

How to become one

Agricultural and food scientists typically need at least a bachelor's degree in animal science, food science, plant biology, or a related field. Employers may prefer or require a master's or doctoral degree.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• College: Science degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $88,720 a year The middle half earn $68,810 to $116,650.
• About 14,100 people work in this job now, and about 14,900 are projected by 2035. (+6.2%)
• People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Related jobs

• Animal Scientists
• Soil and Plant Scientists
• Biochemists and Biophysicists
• Microbiologists
• Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
• Bioinformatics Scientists

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Food Scientist or Technologist?

Agricultural and food scientists typically need at least a bachelor's degree in animal science, food science, plant biology, or a related field. Employers may prefer or require a master's or doctoral degree.

How much does a Food Scientist or Technologist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $88,720 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $68,810 to $116,650.

Is a Food Scientist or Technologist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 14,100 to about 14,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Food Scientist or Technologist?

Usually. 100% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Food Scientist or Technologist?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.