Also called: Flavor Chemist
Creates the flavors in sodas, snacks, candy, and toothpaste by mixing chemicals that trick your taste and smell.
You smell and taste dozens of ingredients a day, building a 'strawberry' flavor out of 30 compounds. A client wants a new chip flavor, so you make samples, the panel tastes them, and you tweak the formula. There are only a few hundred certified flavorists in the US.
Estimate from industry surveys; senior flavorists can earn much more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 11 years after high school. Bachelor's in chemistry or food science, then a roughly 5-7 year apprenticeship to become a certified flavorist.
Ways in: 4-year college, Apprenticeship. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Chemistry, Food Science.
Growing about average. BLS does not project this specialty separately; rating estimated from related occupations.
Low risk for 10 years. AI suggests flavor formulas, but training your nose for years and judging taste stay human; tiny, protected field.
Classes: AP Chemistry, Culinary arts, Biology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2031.
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.