Also called: Food Technologist, Product Developer (Food)
Invents and improves foods, making them tastier, safer, and longer-lasting.
You develop a plant-based burger that sizzles like beef, test shelf life, and work with factories to scale up. Taste-testing is part of the job.
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 or chemistry.
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).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI helps with formulas and shelf-life prediction; tasting, scaling and plant trials stay human.
Classes: AP Chemistry, Biology, Culinary arts.
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.