Also called: Food Lab Technician, QC Lab Tech
Runs lab tests on food samples for things like moisture, fat, pH, and microbes.
Every hour, samples arrive from the production line. You measure salt in soup, test the color of ketchup, and check pH on salsa, logging results so the plant knows if it's on spec.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Associate degree in a science or food technology; some bachelor's.
Ways in: 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Food Science, Biology, Chemistry.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). Agricultural and food science technicians.
Medium risk for 10 years. Automated analyzers and lab robots run more tests; technicians still prep samples and calibrate, but labs need fewer.
Classes: Chemistry, Biology, Algebra I.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4013.
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.