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Food Technology & Processing

Types of Degrees Food Technology & Processing Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Food Technology & Processing may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	17
Associate’s Degree	5
Bachelor’s Degree	20
Master’s Degree	42
Doctor’s Degree	12

What Food Technology & Processing Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Food Technology & Processing emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Production and Processing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Food Production — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Food Technology & Processing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Food Technology & Processing careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Food Technology & Processing graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.8 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Food Technology & Processing professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft SQL Server	Data base user interface and query software	—
Graphics software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Graphical user interface GUI design software	Graphical user interface development software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Food Technology & Processing graduates include:

• Sugarcane Research Technician (Sugarcane Research Tech)
• Flavor Technician (Flavor Tech)
• Juice Standardizer
• QC Tech (Quality Assurance Technician)
• Biotechnician
• QA Lab Tech (Quality Assurance Lab Technician)
• Food Safety Technician (Food Safety Tech)
• Juice Tester
• Data Control Assistant
• Bottle House QC Technician (Bottle House Quality Control Technician)
• Dairy Tester
• Sensory Scientist
• Food Products Tester
• Fruit Tester
• Food QC Technician (Food Quality Control Technician)

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	51.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	15.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.1%
Master’s degree	9.6%
Some college courses	7.6%
Postsecondary certificate	3.5%
Post-doctoral training	0.7%
Doctoral degree	0.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Food Technology & Processing?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 57.3% women and 42.7% men among Food Technology & Processing graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	55	57.3%
Men	41	42.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	39	40.6%
Asian	6	6.2%
Hispanic or Latino	23	24.0%
Black or African American	4	4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	1.0%
Two or More Races	1	1.0%
Race Unknown	3	3.1%
International Students	19	19.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Food Technology & Processing Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Food Technology & Processing graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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.}

Is a Degree in Food Technology & Processing Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Food Technology & Processing 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 Science	01.1001
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.