Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 14,400 people employed as food scientists and technologists in the United States. The median annual salary is $78,340. Entry level employees earn approximately $45,010 per year and senior employees earn approximately $130,540 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.
• Evaluate food processing and storage operations and assist in the development of quality assurance programs for such operations.
• Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.
• Study the structure and composition of food or the changes foods undergo in storage and processing.
• Seek substitutes for harmful or undesirable additives, such as nitrites.
• 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.
• Develop new food items for production, based on consumer feedback.
• Demonstrate products to clients.
• 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.
• Develop new or improved ways of preserving, processing, packaging, storing, and delivering foods, using knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, and other sciences.
• Test new products for flavor, texture, color, nutritional content, and adherence to government and industry standards.

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