Also called: Food Technologist, R&D Scientist
Invents new foods and drinks and figures out how to make them taste great, last on the shelf and be produced safely.
You're working on a protein bar that doesn't turn rock-hard after a month. You bake small test batches, measure texture with a machine, run a taste panel and store bars in warm rooms to speed up aging. When it's right, you help the plant make the first full-size run.
BLS figures for food scientists and technologists; approximate.
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 food science; a master's helps for R&D.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Food Science, Chemistry, Nutrition.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). Agricultural and food scientists overall; approximate.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI speeds formulation and shelf-life prediction, trimming junior lab work; tasting, testing and scale-up stay human.
Classes: AP Chemistry, AP Biology, Culinary arts class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1012.
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.