Food Technology and Processing

Types of Degrees Food Technology and Processing Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many food technology & processing graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	29
Master’s Degree	22
Undergraduate Certificate	18
Associate Degree	9
Basic Certificate	9
Graduate Certificate	4
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Food Technology and Processing Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to food technology and processing and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Food Technology and Processing Majors

Food Technology and Processing majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Food Technology and Processing Majors

food technology and processing majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Food Technology and Processing Majors

Food Technology and Processing majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Food Technology and Processing Major?

People with a food technology and processing degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Agricultural Technicians	6.2%	$40,860
Food Science Technicians	6.2%	$40,860
Food Scientists and Technologists	5.9%	$65,300

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Technology and Processing?

This major is dominated by women with about 69% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of food technology and processing majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3
Black or African American	2
Hispanic or Latino	10
White	12
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	2

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Food Technology and Processing

Some careers associated with food technology and processing require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to food technology and processing have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.9%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	11.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	4.6%
Some College Courses	2.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	11.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	39.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	22.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	5.4%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.7%
Doctoral Degree	2.5%

Online Food Technology and Processing Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	5	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	7	0
Bachelor’s Degree	2	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	3	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Food Technology and Processing

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to food technology and processing.

Major	Number of Grads
Food Science	1,552
Viticulture and Enology	237
Food Science & Technology, Other	114
Brewing Science	110
Zymology/Fermentation Science	74

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Muhammad Irshad Ansari under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.