Food Scientists and Technologists

Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Critical Thinking
Active Learning
Active Listening
Writing
Speaking
Science
Complex Problem Solving

Key knowledge

Production and Processing
Food Production
Chemistry
English Language
Mathematics
Engineering and Technology
Biology
Computers and Electronics

What the work involves

Test new products for flavor, texture, color, nutritional content, and adherence to government and industry standards.
Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing, and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.
Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.
Evaluate food processing and storage operations and assist in the development of quality assurance programs for such operations.
Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.
Study the structure and composition of food or the changes foods undergo in storage and processing.
Develop new or improved ways of preserving, processing, packaging, storing, and delivering foods, using knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, and other sciences.
Develop food standards and production specifications, safety and sanitary regulations, and waste management and water supply specifications.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Realistic, Conventional.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (81.8% of respondents)
Related experience: None (31.8%)
On-the-job training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (36.4%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Food Scientists and Technologists 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.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very low	Lower on contact with others than 81% of occupations compared	41% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	Low	Lower on dealing with the public than 61% of occupations compared	36% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Teamwork	Moderate	Higher on teamwork than 54% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Low	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 67% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Moderate	Lower on time pressure than 50% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	Moderate	Higher on conflict situations than 51% of occupations compared	36% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 67% of occupations compared	65% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	High	Higher on consequence of error than 60% of occupations compared	29% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: moderate
Conflict situations: moderate
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
Consequence of error: high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions