Also called: Head Distiller
Creates and oversees the making of whiskey, bourbon, gin, and other spirits.
Master distillers choose grains and recipes, run stills, nose barrels in warehouses, and decide when whiskey is ready after years of aging.
Estimate; famous distillers at big brands earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 8 years after high school. Chemistry or fermentation science degree helps; many learn on the job over years.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Apprenticeship, 4-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Fermentation Science, Chemistry, Food Science.
Growing about average. Craft distilling has grown quickly.
Low risk for 10 years. Sensors automate still control, but choosing recipes, nosing barrels and deciding when whiskey is ready remain craft judgment.
Classes: Chemistry, Biology, Business, Agriculture CTE.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-9012.
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.