Also called: Culinary Scientist, Culinology Specialist
A trained chef who works for food companies or restaurant chains creating new menu items and recipes that can be made in bulk.
In a test kitchen, you develop a new burrito for a national chain. You cook it as a chef would, then work with food scientists so 2,000 restaurants can make it the same way using frozen and pre-made ingredients.
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. Culinary training plus a food science or culinology degree.
Ways in: 4-year college, 2-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Culinology, Culinary Arts, Food Science.
Growing about average.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI suggests recipes and trends, but cooking, tasting and adapting food for real kitchens stay human.
Classes: Culinary arts CTE, Chemistry, Nutrition 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.