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Food Processing

1 schools compared · Average earnings $38,991/yr

Quick Facts: Food Processing Training

Where it's offered

Food Processing programs are offered at 1 schools across 1 states. Most students attend a school within driving distance of home — use the state picker below to see programs near you.

Earnings expectations

Graduates earn approximately $38,991/year on average one year after completion, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Pay scales with experience, certifications, and regional cost-of-living.

Apprenticeship pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 2 registered apprenticeship pathways related to Food Processing — earn-while-you-learn alternatives to traditional schooling. See apprenticeship.gov for the federal registry.

Program quality benchmark

Across the 1 schools we analyze, the average TradeSchoolOutlook Score is 46/100. Higher-scoring programs combine strong graduate earnings, manageable cost, and strong job-market demand — see the leaderboard further down for the highest-rated options.

What Food Processing Graduates Do

Your career begins at the heart of our food supply chain, ensuring the food we eat is safe and abundant. As a food science technician, you might spend your days on a production floor or in a lab, using specialized equipment to test samples for quality, consistency, and nutritional content. Alternatively, you could start as a first-line supervisor, coordinating work crews in a processing plant or on a farm, managing schedules and ensuring safety protocols are followed.

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With a few years of experience, you can advance. Technicians often move into senior quality assurance roles, while supervisors can step up to manage larger operations or become agricultural inspectors. Your initial earnings will grow steadily as you gain expertise, with senior and postsecondary teaching positions offering the highest salaries. Demand is solid, especially for technicians, which is one of the faster-growing paths. While AI tools may assist with analyzing data or optimizing schedules, the core hands-on work of managing teams and physically verifying food quality remains a fundamentally human task.

Students considering Food Processing also weigh Food Science & Technology, Animal Sciences, and Plant Sciences — see each trade's earnings and school count side by side.

Schools Offering
1
Avg Grad Earnings
$38,991/yr
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
46/100
Apprenticeship Paths
2
View pathways ↓

Registered Apprenticeship Pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 2 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Food Processing. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.

Apprenticeship Training Hours Type Salary RangeSalary Growth
Agricultural Commodity Grader (Alternate Title: Food Inspector, Consumer Saferty Inspector)
RAPIDS 2046CB 		Competency Competency $43K – $50,990 – $65K 1.5%
Bison Herd Manager
RAPIDS 1136 		4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs 		Time $48K – $59,330 – $77K 2.5%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.

Find Food Processing Programs in Your State

Trade and community college programs are local decisions — most students pick a school within driving distance. Food Processing is offered at 1 schools across 1 states. Click your state to see all trade programs offered locally.

Michigan (1)

Top Food Processing Programs Nationally

For context, here are the highest-scoring Food Processing programs in the country. Most students attend a school within 60 miles of home, so your state list above is usually more actionable — but these are the benchmarks others compete against.

1 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and career analysis.

# School Score Earnings ROI
1 Schoolcraft Community College District
Livonia, MI		 60
57–62		 $38,991/yr 86.7x

Highest Earning Food Processing Programs

Schools where Food Processing graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings Score
Schoolcraft Community College District $38,991/yr 60

Best ROI for Food Processing

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Food Processing.

School ROI Multiple Earnings Score
Schoolcraft Community College District 86.7x $38,991/yr 60

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Marketing Business Administration Practical Nursing Nursing Health Administration Criminal Justice Liberal Arts & Humanities Electromechanical Technology Culinary Arts

Considering a 4-Year Degree?

Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Food Processing degree programs stack up on earnings and ROI.

Compare Food Processing degree programs on DegreeOutlook →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Food Processing graduates earn?
Across 1 schools, Food Processing graduates earn an average of $38,991 per year in their first year after completing the program. Earnings range from $38,991 to $38,991 depending on the school.
How AI-proof is a career in Food Processing?
Food Processing is rated "Resilient" for AI resilience — 62% of job tasks involve hands-on work shielded from AI automation. That means most career tasks in this field rely on skills AI cannot replicate.
Which school has the best Food Processing program?
Schoolcraft Community College District leads all 1 programs with a TradeSchoolOutlook Score of 60/100. Graduates earn $38,991/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.
Is Food Processing worth it?
Typical graduates earn 86.7 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.
Data from College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, and DOL RAPIDS. Methodology & sources →