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Food Science

Types of Degrees Food Science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Food Science may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	9
Bachelor’s Degree	942
Master’s Degree	466
Doctor’s Degree	164

What Food Science Majors Need to Know

Programs in Food Science build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Food Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Food Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Food Production — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Food Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Food Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Food Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Data management software	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Food Science graduates include:

• Agricultural Science Teacher
• Viticulture Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Soil Science Professor
• Aquaculture Professor
• Soil Conservation Teacher
• Agronomy Teacher
• Sericulture Teacher
• Olericulture Professor
• Animal Husbandry Professor
• Professor
• Animal Science Professor
• Soil Biology Teacher
• Animal Physiology Teacher
• Animal Nutrition Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	32.4%
Bachelor’s degree	22.4%
Post-doctoral training	16.0%
Master’s degree	12.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.2%
Some college courses	3.2%
Postsecondary certificate	1.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
Less than a high school diploma	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Food Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 67.6% of Food Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,069	67.6%
Men	512	32.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Food Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	712	45.0%
Asian	156	9.9%
Hispanic or Latino	116	7.3%
Black or African American	85	5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	47	3.0%
Race Unknown	47	3.0%
International Students	414	26.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Food Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Food 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 Food Science Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Food 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
Associate’s	1	1
Bachelor’s	1	2
Master’s	2	3

^{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 Food Science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Food 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
Brewing Science	01.1003
Food Science and Technology, Other	01.1099
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
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations	01.0102
Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding	01.1104
Agricultural Animal Breeding	01.0902

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.