Food Science Technicians
Work with food scientists or technologists to perform standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine physical or chemical properties of food or beverage products. Includes technicians who assist in research and development of production technology, quality control, packaging, processing, and use of foods.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Science
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Coordination
Key knowledge
- Food Production
- Production and Processing
- Chemistry
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Administrative
What the work involves
- Conduct standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, or preservatives to ensure compliance with standards and regulations regarding factors such as color, texture, or nutrients.
- Provide assistance to food scientists or technologists in research and development, production technology, or quality control.
- Compute moisture or salt content, percentages of ingredients, formulas, or other product factors, using mathematical and chemical procedures.
- Record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports.
- Analyze test results to classify products or compare results with standard tables.
- Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics.
- Examine chemical or biological samples to identify cell structures or to locate bacteria or extraneous material, using a microscope.
- Measure, test, or weigh bottles, cans, or other containers to ensure that hardness, strength, or dimensions meet specifications.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (32.3% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (36.9%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (44.1%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Food Science Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | High | Higher on contact with others than 64% of occupations compared | 74% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 96% of occupations compared | 45% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 78% of occupations compared | 71% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Moderate | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 52% of occupations compared | 53% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very high | Higher on time pressure than 85% of occupations compared | 61% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 75% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 91% of occupations compared | 45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Lower on consequence of error than 51% of occupations compared | 24% of surveyed respondents chose “Serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very high
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 2.74%
- Occasional contact with others: 3.66%
- Contact with others about half the time: 2.47%
- Contact with others most of the time: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Constant contact with others: 74.25%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2023
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 44.73%
- Fairly important: 42.08%
- Important: 6.69%
- Very important: 2.15%
- Extremely important: 4.36%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2023
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 2.74%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 5.02%
- Very important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Extremely important: 70.82%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2023
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 38.66%
- Some freedom: 7.96%
- A lot of freedom: 53.39%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2023
Time pressure
- Never: 4.11%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 2.15%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 6.69%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 26.3%
- Every day: 60.76%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2023
Conflict situations
- Never: 5.92%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 47.72%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 42.85%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 1.37%
- Every day: 2.15%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2023
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: 45.09%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 19.76%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 2.15%
- Every day: 2.74%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2023
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 19.36%
- Fairly serious: 23.57%
- Serious: 23.58%
- Very serious: 10.62%
- Extremely serious: 22.88%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2023
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O*NET-SOC 19-4013.00 · SOC 19-4013 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8