Food Technologist

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Work Tasks

• Study food and find new ways to store, package, and deliver it
• Help to make food good for your health, safe, tasty, and easy to fix
• Find new food sources, make new foods, and improve foods that already exist
• Do tests to make sure foods are safe and that government laws are followed
• Work in labs, offices, or classrooms, for the government, private consulting firms, research labs, colleges, and publishers
• Work with foods, packaging, lab testing equipment, food processing equipment, ingredients, and computers

Salary, Size & Growth

• $64,500 average per year ($31.00 per hour)
• A medium occupation (27,400 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow moderately (1.6% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree in food science
• Employers Prefer: A Ph.D. degree
• Skills/Courses: College courses include biology, chemistry, math, physics, food and nutrition, and computer science.