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brewing science

Types of Degrees brewing science Majors Are Earning

People majoring in brewing science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	25
Associate’s Degree	15
Bachelor’s Degree	11
Master’s Degree	67

What brewing science Majors Need to Know

Coursework for brewing science develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that brewing science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in brewing science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Production and Processing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Food Production — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a brewing science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to brewing science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, brewing science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.9 / 7
Getting Information	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7
Working with Computers	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by brewing science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Plex Systems Plex Manufacturing Cloud	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Edible Software	Inventory management software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for brewing science graduates include:

• Syrup Maker
• Blender
• Dry Starch Operator
• Vinegar Maker
• Relish Maker
• Dough Mixing Machine Operator
• Colorist Dyer
• Marzipan Maker
• Maker
• Custom Feed Corn Operator
• Lard Mixer
• Blend Operator
• Spinner
• Pickle Maker
• Production Associate

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to brewing science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	40.1%
Some college courses	16.7%
Bachelor’s degree	14.4%
Postsecondary certificate	12.9%
Less than a high school diploma	8.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.4%
Master’s degree	2.7%
Doctoral degree	0.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in brewing science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 77.1% of brewing science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	27	22.9%
Men	91	77.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of brewing science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	85	72.0%
Asian	7	5.9%
Hispanic or Latino	11	9.3%
Black or African American	2	1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.8%
Two or More Races	2	1.7%
Race Unknown	5	4.2%
International Students	2	1.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do brewing science Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of brewing science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$55,828
4 years	$59,662
5 years	$68,842

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $68,842 — roughly 23% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online brewing science Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for brewing science. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in brewing science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, brewing science graduates earn a median of $59,662 four years after completion — roughly 57% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Food Science and Technology	01.10
Food Science and Technology, Other	01.1099
Food Science	01.1001
Food Technology and Processing	01.1002
Viticulture and Enology	01.1004
Zymology/Fermentation Science	01.1005
Agricultural and Food Products Processing	01.0401
Agriculture, General	01.0000
International Agriculture	01.0701

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.