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Academic Field / Agriculture

Food Science and Technology

Students study food chemistry, microbiology, processing techniques, safety regulations, and product development from lab to shelf. Graduates typically pursue careers as food scientists, quality assurance managers, product developers, and FDA regulatory specialists. The food industry consistently offers strong salaries given the critical importance of food safety and innovation.

Schools
25
Programs analyzed
Earnings
$49,845
Avg 1-yr grad earnings
Range $24,341–$64,062
AI Risk
Moderate
36% task exposure
Field Overview

What Food Science and Technology graduates do

Your degree in Food Science and Technology puts you at the critical link between the farm and the consumer. In the lab as a food scientist, you'll develop new products, reformulate recipes for better nutrition, or run sensory panels to perfect a new flavor. On the factory floor, you might work as a food batchmaker, operating equipment to mix large-scale recipes, or as a technician, pulling samples for quality and safety testing. Another path leads to agricultural management, where you’ll oversee crop cycles, manage supply chain logistics, and make key business decisions for large-scale food producers.

Many careers begin with hands-on roles like a technician before progressing to R&D or management. While roles like food batchmaking are growing, traditional agricultural management faces headwinds. A key advantage of this field is its resilience to automation. AI can help analyze data or optimize logistics, but the core work—running sensory tests, operating machinery, and ensuring physical quality control—requires your hands-on expertise. This makes your skills essential in the journey from raw ingredient to finished product.

Students weighing Food Science & Technology often also consider Plant Sciences, Agricultural Production, and Animal Sciences — compare earnings, ROI, and AI outlook side by side.

Career Trajectories

Where Food Science and Technology graduates work

Common career paths for Food Science and Technology graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 130,500 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role Median Pay Annual Openings 10-yr Growth AI Exposure
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
$87,980
$68K–$115K
85,500 -1.3% Moderate · 37%
Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary
$86,350
$64K–$123K
800 +4.1% High · 50%
Food scientists and technologists
$85,310
$65K–$112K
1,200 +6.5% Moderate · 35%
Soil and plant scientists
$71,410
$58K–$98K
1,700 +5.4% Moderate · 49%
First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
$59,330
$48K–$77K
8,500 +2.5% Low · 28%
Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
$49,500
$42K–$61K
5,400 -4.3% Low · 14%
Food science technicians
$49,430
$44K–$61K
3,200 +4.8% Moderate · 36%
Food batchmakers
$40,790
$35K–$49K
24,200 +6.9% Low · 12%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Top Institutions

Best schools for Food Science and Technology

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 25.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 69
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public
$51,883 1-yr earnings
24.3x ROI multiple
Moderate AI risk
# School DW Score 1-yr Earnings ROI
5 Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS · Public
64 $62,479 13.4x
6 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · Public
64 $48,441 13.7x
7 California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA · Public
64 $45,796 21.6x
8 University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · Public
62 $59,547 9.7x
9 Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · Public
62 $59,342 10.0x
10 University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public
61 $52,084 10.9x
11 Washington State University
Pullman, WA · Public
61 $47,970 12.6x
12 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public
60 $56,274 9.7x
13 California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
59 $52,806 18.4x
14 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · Public
59 $49,303 9.6x
15 University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · Public
56 $53,205 12.6x
16 Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
Bend, OR · Public
56 $43,923 11.2x
17 North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · Public
55 $50,631 13.2x
18 Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR · Public
55 $43,923 10.4x
19 Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit
54 $64,062 2.2x
20 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public
51 $41,150 8.5x
View the complete Food Science and Technology school rankings — 25 programs analyzed →

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Food Science and Technology.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Food Science and Technology offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Food Science and Technology trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Food Science and Technology

How much do Food Science and Technology graduates earn?

First-year earnings for Food Science and Technology graduates average $49,845 annually, based on data from 25 programs. The range spans $24,341 at the low end to $64,062 at the top.

Will AI affect Food Science and Technology careers?

Food Science and Technology is rated "Moderate" for AI automation risk, with 36% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

What's the top-ranked school for Food Science and Technology?

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona leads all 25 programs with a DegreeOutlook Score of 69/100. Graduates earn $51,883/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.

What's the ROI on a Food Science and Technology degree?

The average 10-year earnings multiple is 12.2x tuition. This is a strong return on investment. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.