Food Science & Technology
Quick Facts: Food Science & Technology Training
Where it's offered
Food Science & Technology 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 $49,123/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 10 registered apprenticeship pathways related to Food Science & Technology — 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 54/100. 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 Science & Technology Graduates Do
Your career in food science will likely begin on the production floor or in a quality control lab. As a Food Batchmaker, you'll operate industrial-sized mixers and cookers, following precise formulas to create everything from sauces to snacks. You'll spend your day weighing ingredients and monitoring temperatures. Or, you might start as a Food Science Technician, working in a lab with tools like pH meters and viscometers to test samples for quality, safety, and texture, ensuring every batch meets standards.
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After gaining experience, you can advance to lead technician or specialize as a Food Scientist. Here, your focus shifts from testing to creating: developing new food products, researching innovative preservation methods, or optimizing large-scale production lines. This is where earnings can significantly increase. The field has strong demand, with roles like batchmakers and food scientists experiencing solid job growth and thousands of openings each year.
While AI may assist with planning tasks like recipe formulation, the core hands-on work remains fundamentally human. Your expertise in operating machinery, conducting physical tests, and ensuring quality control in a plant or lab is what drives the industry forward.
Students considering Food Science & Technology also weigh Plant Sciences, Agricultural Production, and Animal Sciences — see each trade's earnings and school count side by side.
Registered Apprenticeship Pathways
The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 10 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Food Science & Technology. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Beekeeper
RAPIDS 886 |
8000 hrs
~4.0 yrs |
Time | $68K – $87,980 – $115K | -1.3% |
|
Bison Herd Manager
RAPIDS 1136 |
4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs |
Time | $48K – $59,330 – $77K | 2.5% |
|
Cellar Worker (Wine)
RAPIDS 1124 |
2136 hrs
~1.1 yrs |
Time | $42K – $49,500 – $61K | -4.3% |
|
Dairy Grazier
RAPIDS 2019HY |
4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs |
Hybrid | $68K – $87,980 – $115K | -1.3% |
|
Farmer, General (Agric)
RAPIDS 177 |
8000 hrs
~4.0 yrs |
Time | $68K – $87,980 – $115K | -1.3% |
|
Fourdrinier-Machine Oper
RAPIDS 204 |
6000 hrs
~3.0 yrs |
Time | $42K – $49,500 – $61K | -4.3% |
|
Horticulturist
RAPIDS 236 |
6000 hrs
~3.0 yrs |
Time | $58K – $71,410 – $98K | 5.4% |
|
Professional Brewer
RAPIDS 2044 |
2000 hrs
~1.0 yrs |
Time | $42K – $49,500 – $61K | -4.3% |
|
Purification Operator Ii
RAPIDS 461 |
8000 hrs
~4.0 yrs |
Time | $42K – $49,500 – $61K | -4.3% |
|
Recovery Operator (Paper)
RAPIDS 420 |
2000 hrs
~1.0 yrs |
Time | $42K – $49,500 – $61K | -4.3% |
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 Science & Technology Programs in Your State
Trade and community college programs are local decisions — most students pick a school within driving distance. Food Science & Technology is offered at 1 schools across 1 states. Click your state to see all trade programs offered locally.
Top Food Science & Technology Programs Nationally
For context, here are the highest-scoring Food Science & Technology 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY |
61 59–62 |
Highest Earning Food Science & Technology Programs
Schools where Food Science & Technology graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | Score |
|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | $49,123/yr | 61 |
Best ROI for Food Science & Technology
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Food Science & Technology.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | 36.2x | $49,123/yr | 61 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Considering a 4-Year Degree?
Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Food Science & Technology degree programs stack up on earnings and ROI.