Also called: Food Safety Microbiologist
Makes sure food is safe from germs like Salmonella and Listeria—and helps create foods made by microbes like yogurt and cheese.
Tests samples from a food factory's production line, traces a contamination source, and helps develop a new probiotic drink.
Estimate.
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 in microbiology or food science; master's helpful.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Microbiology, Food Science.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Estimate.
Medium risk for 10 years. Rapid automated tests and AI tracing speed food-safety work; plant visits, outbreak sleuthing and new products stay human.
Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Culinary or food science class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1022.
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.