Also called: Sensory Analyst, Consumer Science Specialist
Runs taste tests and studies how people perceive flavor, smell, texture and appearance of foods and products.
You set up booths with red lights so tasters can't see color differences, serve coded samples of three potato chips, and collect ratings on crunch and saltiness. Then you crunch the numbers to tell the company which recipe wins.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in food science, psychology or statistics.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Food Science, Psychology, Statistics.
Growing about average.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI models predict consumer liking and speed data analysis; running real human panels and interpreting them stays human.
Classes: AP Statistics, AP Psychology, AP Chemistry.
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.