occupation · 19-4013 · detailed
Food Science Technicians — wages and employment
Food Science Technicians earned a median annual wage of $49,430 in the United States in May 2024, with 14,200 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Food Science Technicians earned a median annual wage of $49,430 in the United States in May 2024, with 14,200 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $37,760 or less, the best-paid tenth $75,100 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $49,090 to $49,430, +0.7 %. The best-paying state is Mississippi at $64,600; the lowest Puerto Rico at $34,320. Among metropolitan areas, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV pays the highest median, $104,600. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 14,200 | $49,430 | $54,400 | $37,760 | $43,990 | $60,940 | $75,100 | $23.76 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 15,190 | $49,090 | $54,000 | $37,290 | $41,770 | $61,390 | $74,630 | $23.60 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $64,600 | 30 |
| Illinois | $63,730 | 390 |
| Colorado | $59,450 | 190 |
| Virginia | $59,110 | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $57,400 | 130 |
| Missouri | $55,830 | 310 |
| Michigan | $53,480 | 130 |
| Tennessee | $52,710 | 90 |
| New York | $52,530 | 750 |
| Kentucky | $52,410 | 160 |
| New Jersey | $52,390 | 610 |
| Maryland | $51,690 | 270 |
| California | $50,960 | 4,000 |
| Minnesota | $50,380 | 340 |
| Wisconsin | $50,080 | 550 |
| Vermont | $49,970 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,050 | 580 |
| Oregon | $48,840 | 570 |
| Utah | $48,790 | 90 |
| Connecticut | $48,580 | — |
| Indiana | $48,060 | 430 |
| Iowa | $47,610 | 400 |
| Washington | $47,420 | 340 |
| Florida | $46,980 | 250 |
| Ohio | $46,830 | 360 |
| Nebraska | $46,450 | 180 |
| Arkansas | $46,400 | 160 |
| Texas | $46,170 | 970 |
| South Dakota | $46,000 | 100 |
| Idaho | $45,230 | 320 |
| North Carolina | $44,720 | 110 |
| New Mexico | $43,990 | 120 |
| Georgia | $41,840 | 500 |
| South Carolina | $39,300 | 50 |
| Kansas | $35,810 | 60 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,320 | 60 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $104,600 | 190 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $77,530 | 50 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $76,690 | 40 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $76,320 | 40 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $65,220 | 90 |
| Syracuse, NY | $64,830 | 30 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $64,760 | 320 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $63,710 | 50 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $63,390 | 50 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $62,590 | 90 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $62,340 | 230 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $61,850 | 190 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $60,780 | 350 |
| Columbus, OH | $60,670 | 70 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $60,540 | 40 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $60,240 | 130 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $59,580 | 140 |
| Merced, CA | $58,880 | 220 |
| Napa, CA | $58,300 | 200 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $57,890 | 40 |
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