Also called: Director of Food Safety, VP of Quality Assurance
Leads the food safety program for a company, preventing outbreaks and handling recalls if something goes wrong.
You review lab data on salmonella testing across six plants, prepare for an FDA inspection, and train managers. If a customer reports a problem, you lead an investigation that could trigger a nationwide recall.
Estimate from industry salary surveys.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in food science or microbiology plus 10+ years of experience and certifications like PCQI.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Food Science, Microbiology, Food Safety.
Growing about average. Steady demand due to FDA food safety rules.
Low risk for 10 years. AI tracks sensor data and flags risks earlier; leading recalls, audits and a company's safety culture stay human.
Classes: AP Biology, Chemistry, Statistics.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.