Career Explorer Science
Grows with AI
Food scientists and technologists
Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 61% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by +6.2% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on creative vision and ethical judgement.
AI can help with many of the tasks, and demand is still growing. Being fluent with AI is the edge here.
- Median pay (2025)
- $88,720
- Job growth to 2035
- +6.2%
- Openings a year
- 1,000
- People doing it (2025)
- 14,100
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Research technology designs or applications
- Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Inspect facilities or equipment
- Evaluate production inputs or outputs
- Test characteristics of materials or products
What the work looks like
- Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.
- Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing, and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.
- Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.
- Develop food standards and production specifications, safety and sanitary regulations, and waste management and water supply specifications.
- Stay up to date on new regulations and current events regarding food science by reviewing scientific literature.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Agricultural engineersGrows with AI, Index 66, +6.9%
- Conservation scientistsGrows with AI, Index 65, +5.3%
- EpidemiologistsGrows with AI, Index 65, +18.7%
- Meeting, convention, and event plannersGrows with AI, Index 70, +5.8%
Also known as: Food and Drug Research Scientist, Food Scientist, Food Technologist, Research Chef, Corporate Food Scientist, Food Engineer, Food Safety Regulatory Manager, Formulator.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.