Food Scientists and Technologists
Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.
- O*NET-SOC code
19-1012.00 - Preparation Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$88,720
Employment, U.S.13,060
Median hourly wage$42.65
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $52,920 | $68,810 | $88,720 | $116,650 | $145,280 |
By state (39)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 60 | $97,480 | 0.31 |
| Arizona | $90,450 | ||
| Arkansas | 310 | $84,330 | 2.82 |
| California | 2,210 | $93,950 | 1.44 |
| Colorado | 320 | $99,580 | 1.31 |
| Florida | 170 | $101,160 | 0.20 |
| Georgia | 560 | $86,050 | 1.38 |
| Idaho | 140 | $77,440 | 1.98 |
| Illinois | 780 | $94,340 | 1.53 |
| Indiana | 300 | $69,350 | 1.12 |
| Iowa | 380 | $82,010 | 2.87 |
| Kansas | 380 | $85,130 | 3.19 |
| Kentucky | 170 | $98,710 | 1.04 |
| Maine | 30 | $89,480 | 0.58 |
| Maryland | 270 | $93,330 | 1.18 |
| Massachusetts | 420 | $103,580 | 1.38 |
| Michigan | 430 | $76,940 | 1.15 |
| Minnesota | 670 | $99,280 | 2.70 |
| Missouri | 390 | $105,930 | 1.59 |
| Montana | 30 | $52,230 | 0.72 |
| Nebraska | 230 | $72,230 | 2.64 |
| Nevada | 50 | $80,580 | 0.37 |
| New Jersey | 630 | $104,340 | 1.76 |
| New Mexico | 30 | $79,130 | 0.44 |
| New York | 660 | $94,070 | 0.81 |
| North Carolina | 230 | $79,840 | 0.56 |
| Ohio | 270 | $76,780 | 0.59 |
| Oklahoma | 50 | $84,750 | 0.32 |
| Oregon | 270 | $81,660 | 1.64 |
| Pennsylvania | 400 | $83,380 | 0.79 |
| Rhode Island | 40 | $87,970 | 1.03 |
| South Carolina | 90 | $108,660 | 0.46 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $71,330 | 2.30 |
| Tennessee | 70 | $81,760 | 0.25 |
| Texas | 840 | $90,610 | 0.71 |
| Utah | 120 | $73,280 | 0.81 |
| Virginia | 70 | $93,590 | 0.21 |
| Washington | 250 | $94,990 | 0.85 |
| Wisconsin | 410 | $83,020 | 1.67 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soil and Plant Scientists | 5 | 0.970 |
| 2 | Animal Scientists | 5 | 0.968 |
| 3 | Quality Control Systems Managers | 4 | 0.963 |
| 4 | Microbiologists | 4 | 0.962 |
| 5 | Food Science Technicians | 3 | 0.958 |
| 6 | Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health | 4 | 0.956 |
| 7 | Validation Engineers | 4 | 0.955 |
| 8 | Chemists | 4 | 0.955 |
| 9 | Quality Control Analysts | 3 | 0.954 |
| 10 | Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 4 | 0.954 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Food Scientists and Technologists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control Systems Managers | Coordination | 0.76 | 0.963 |
| Validation Engineers | Operations Analysis | 1.50 | 0.955 |
| Quality Control Analysts | Troubleshooting | 1.25 | 0.954 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | Management of Financial Resources | 2.00 | 0.945 |
| Range Managers | Operations Analysis | 1.00 | 0.938 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | Technology Design | 2.13 | 0.938 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Food Scientists and Technologists, excluding software Food Scientists and Technologists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Laboratory information management system LIMS | 5 of 20 | 12.8x |
| Structure query language SQL | 5 of 20 | 11.0x |
| Sparta Systems TrackWise | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| ESRI ArcPad | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| Microsoft Visio | 9 of 20 | 2.8x |
| Geographic information system GIS systems | 6 of 20 | 4.6x |
| National Instruments LabVIEW | 6 of 20 | 4.5x |
| Statistical software | 5 of 20 | 5.8x |
| ESRI ArcGIS software | 7 of 20 | 3.5x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 9 of 20 | 2.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.62 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.50 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Science | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Production and Processing | 4.41 | 4.68 |
| Food Production | 4.14 | 4.36 |
| Chemistry | 4.05 | 5.18 |
| English Language | 3.95 | 3.86 |
| Mathematics | 3.71 | 4.32 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.67 | 4.05 |
| Biology | 3.45 | 4.32 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.27 | 4.00 |
| Administration and Management | 3.10 | 3.86 |
| Education and Training | 3.09 | 4.18 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.09 | 3.50 |
| Law and Government | 3.05 | 3.41 |
| Administrative | 3.00 | 4.18 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.91 | 3.29 |
| Physics | 2.86 | 3.41 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.64 | 3.09 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.62 | 2.77 |
| Mechanical | 2.59 | 2.95 |
| Design | 2.50 | 3.14 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.50 | 2.41 |
| Communications and Media | 2.27 | 2.23 |
| Psychology | 2.18 | 2.32 |
| Transportation | 2.09 | 2.14 |
| Telecommunications | 1.95 | 1.67 |
| Geography | 1.77 | 2.09 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.73 | 1.95 |
| Foreign Language | 1.73 | 1.55 |
| Building and Construction | 1.64 | 1.36 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.41 | 0.91 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.33 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.32 | 0.91 |
| History and Archeology | 1.27 | 0.77 |
| Fine Arts | 1.09 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.12 | 4.75 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.50 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Written Expression | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Category Flexibility | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Information Ordering | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Originality | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Number Facility | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Far Vision | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Memorization | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Visualization | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.25 | 2.50 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Control Precision | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Reaction Time | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 1.38 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Stamina | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Rate Control | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Static Strength | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Response Orientation | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Sound Localization | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Outlook in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint in demand
- HubSpot software hot
- Hypertext markup language HTML hot
- Marketo Marketing Automation hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- R hot
- SAP software hot
- Structured query language SQL hot
- Tableau hot
- BioDiscovery ImaGene
- Image analysis software
- Insightful S-PLUS
- MDS Analytical Technologies GenePix Pro
- Oracle Eloqua
- PathogenTracker
- STATISTICA
- Sensory Computer Systems SIMS
- U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA National Nutrient Database
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | 190 | 8.13 | $103,300 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 160 | 4.64 | $76,580 |
| Fresno, CA | 110 | 2.80 | $93,750 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 440 | 2.65 | $101,760 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 270 | 2.44 | $108,200 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 110 | 2.35 | $99,530 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 180 | 1.91 | $105,350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 380 | 1.89 | $98,930 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 110 | 1.79 | $68,590 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 370 | 1.64 | $103,580 |