Agricultural Technicians
Median $49,630
Occupation · SOC 19-4013
Food Science Technicians: pay and where the jobs are
What food science technicians earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$52,130 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $56,660
- Median hourly wage
- $25.06
- Mean hourly wage
- $27.24
- Employment
- 14,600
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-4013.
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See where your pay falls among food science technicians nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do food science technicians make?
The median annual wage for food science technicians was $52,130 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,820 and the highest-paid 10% more than $78,820. As an hourly rate, the median is $25.06. About 14,600 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Virginia ($65,360), Kentucky ($64,770) and Washington ($62,070). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Kentucky.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for food science technicians looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,820 | $19.14 | $3,318 | $2,848 |
| 25th percentile | $46,020 | $22.12 | $3,835 | $3,263 |
| Median | $52,130 | $25.06 | $4,344 | $3,672 |
| 75th percentile | $63,270 | $30.42 | $5,273 | $4,418 |
| 90th percentile | $78,820 | $37.89 | $6,568 | $5,357 |
Food Science Technicians: pay by state
39 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$57,757 take-home in national prices
2
$53,054 take-home in national prices
3
$51,188 take-home in national prices
Where a median food science technician paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 150 | $65,360 | $47,250 | $78,700 | $51,753 | $51,188 |
| Kentucky | 160 | $64,770 | $42,170 | $84,410 | $52,073 | $57,757 |
| Washington | 660 | $62,070 | $45,930 | $79,850 | $51,192 | $47,837 |
| Vermont | 50 | $60,980 | $46,620 | $71,270 | $49,568 | $50,602 |
| Illinois | 290 | $60,820 | $46,860 | $104,280 | $48,183 | $48,203 |
| Missouri | 150 | $59,570 | $41,430 | $83,570 | $48,182 | $53,054 |
| Nevada | 110 | $59,070 | $47,220 | $66,590 | $49,643 | $49,653 |
| Colorado | 270 | $58,540 | $52,340 | $82,140 | $47,092 | $45,697 |
| Florida | 250 | $58,500 | $37,620 | $91,820 | $49,185 | $47,561 |
| Minnesota | 380 | $57,940 | $42,010 | $74,270 | $46,063 | $46,707 |
| Maryland | 280 | $57,880 | $46,320 | $77,520 | $46,303 | $44,116 |
| Ohio | 230 | $57,060 | $41,000 | $86,300 | $46,902 | $50,555 |
| Massachusetts | 260 | $56,850 | $44,900 | $73,300 | $44,975 | $42,527 |
| New Jersey | 590 | $56,730 | $38,920 | $77,450 | $45,747 | $42,045 |
| Wisconsin | 540 | $55,690 | $40,600 | $73,030 | $45,070 | $47,898 |
| New York | 580 | $55,470 | $44,270 | $75,080 | $44,081 | $40,846 |
| California | 3,990 | $54,200 | $40,790 | $76,330 | $43,734 | $39,499 |
| Georgia | 260 | $53,150 | $33,040 | $80,620 | $42,982 | $44,637 |
| Michigan | 250 | $52,130 | $39,290 | $68,610 | $42,102 | $43,757 |
| Mississippi | 50 | $51,460 | $35,930 | $78,520 | $42,202 | $48,534 |
| Iowa | 420 | $50,740 | $40,200 | $66,370 | $41,673 | $47,484 |
| Oregon | 820 | $50,590 | $41,090 | $63,260 | $39,276 | $37,999 |
| Connecticut | Not published | $49,700 | $36,930 | $61,150 | $39,879 | $38,489 |
| Idaho | 560 | $48,980 | $37,980 | $65,580 | $40,048 | $41,937 |
| South Dakota | 100 | $48,760 | $33,790 | $54,440 | $41,359 | $46,688 |
| North Carolina | 130 | $48,640 | $39,740 | $63,280 | $39,830 | $42,226 |
| Nebraska | 170 | $48,530 | $44,840 | $59,670 | $39,845 | $44,222 |
| Pennsylvania | 590 | $48,060 | $37,590 | $62,200 | $39,287 | $40,265 |
| Texas | 900 | $47,760 | $37,040 | $76,130 | $40,555 | $41,785 |
| Oklahoma | 50 | $47,240 | $38,120 | $52,690 | $38,557 | $43,893 |
| Arkansas | 140 | $46,810 | $42,600 | $69,120 | $38,547 | $44,340 |
| New Mexico | 120 | $46,500 | $35,960 | $51,480 | $38,511 | $41,763 |
| Utah | 80 | $45,110 | $41,240 | $84,930 | $37,035 | $37,460 |
| Indiana | 530 | $44,630 | $40,410 | $68,550 | $36,753 | $39,380 |
| Louisiana | 30 | $44,310 | $35,280 | $63,230 | $36,840 | $41,765 |
| Alabama | 30 | $40,940 | $38,530 | $62,060 | $33,405 | $37,608 |
| Kansas | 60 | $39,930 | $33,390 | $71,320 | $32,835 | $36,456 |
| South Carolina | 40 | $39,480 | $36,270 | $60,040 | $33,415 | $35,643 |
| Puerto Rico | 50 | $36,050 | $21,890 | $38,020 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-4013. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.