Food Science Technology

Types of Degrees Food Science Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many food science technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	492
Doctor’s Degree	173
Graduate Certificate	27

What Food Science Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, food science tech majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Food Science Tech Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in food science tech should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Skills for Food Science Tech Majors

When studying food science tech, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Food Science Tech Majors

A major in food science tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Food Science Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with food science tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Agricultural Sciences Professors	7.9%	$84,640
Agricultural Technicians	6.2%	$40,860
Food Science Technicians	6.2%	$40,860
Food Scientists and Technologists	5.9%	$65,300

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Food Science Technology?

The major attracts more women than men. About 68% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of food science tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	28
Black or African American	21
Hispanic or Latino	30
White	228
International Students	164
Other Races/Ethnicities	21

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Food Science Tech, too. About 33.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Indonesia
• South Korea
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Food Science Technology Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that food science technology students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $75,367 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $71,035 (25th percentile) and $78,273 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to food science tech so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $44,170 to $90,890 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to food science tech. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Food Science Technology

Some careers associated with food science tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for food science tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	9.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	3.5%
Some College Courses	1.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	8.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	30.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.3%
Master’s Degree	20.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	4.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.5%
Doctoral Degree	14.4%
Post-Doctoral Training	6.1%

Online Food Science Technology Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 145 schools offered some type of food science technology program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	23	5
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	50	3
Bachelor’s Degree	11	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	53	4
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	37	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Food Science Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a food science tech grad is $72,570 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 82% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $653,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Food Science Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to food science tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Plant Sciences	912
Animal Science	596
Agricultural Economics & Business	410
General Agriculture	353
Agricultural Public Services	179
Agricultural Production	163
Soil Sciences	158
Other Agriculture	104
International Agriculture	46
Horticulture	15
Animal Services	8
Food Processing	2
Agricultural Mechanization	0
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Muhammad Irshad Ansari under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.