Career Library · Sourced profile
Food Science Technician
Food science technicians collect and test food samples, support food-related research, and help check product quality and safety.
Sources reviewed 2026-10-25
Daily responsibilities
Collect and prepare food or agricultural product samples for testing and analysis.
Operate equipment and follow protocols to help scientists evaluate food quality, processing, or safety.
Record observations and test results carefully so that researchers or production teams can review them.
Work setting
Environment
The BLS profile covers agricultural and food science technicians together. Settings can include laboratories, processing plants, farms and ranches, greenhouses, or offices; actual work varies by specialty and employer.
Some duties involve protective clothing or gloves, lifting and carrying objects, and being physically active for extended periods. The source describes the broader occupation group, so a particular food laboratory may differ.
Schedule
The broader agricultural and food science technician group usually works full time; some work more than 40 hours, and schedules may include evenings or weekends.
People and work demands
Human interaction
The work may support scientists, laboratory colleagues, or food production teams. The national profile does not specify a uniform amount of daily interaction for food science technicians alone.
Emotional intensity
The cited profile describes testing, documentation, and work settings but does not rate emotional intensity for food science technicians.
Physical reality
Across the broader group, some jobs involve protective clothing or gloves, lifting and carrying objects, prolonged physical activity, or travel. Confirm which conditions apply to a specific food testing or production role.
Compensation evidence
Estimated U.S. median: $52,130 per year · May 2025
Scope: Food science technicians (detailed occupation row within the broader agricultural and food science technician group). The food science technician median is distinct from agricultural technicians' $49,630 median and from the broader group's $51,160 Quick Facts figure. It is not entry-level pay, a local quote, or a guarantee.
The amount is an occupation-level national median sourced from the cited BLS evidence; it is not a starting wage or guarantee.
Education and credentials
Typical entry path
BLS's combined agricultural and food science technician profile lists an associate degree as typical. Its entry-path discussion says some employers require or prefer an associate or bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, agriculture, or a related field; others hire people with a high school diploma and related work experience.
Credentials
The cited national profile does not identify a universal occupational license or certification. A food employer may still require specific sanitation, laboratory, or production preparation; verify those requirements directly rather than assuming a credential.
What still needs local verification
The BLS education, schedule, and workplace descriptions cover the broader agricultural and food science technician group. Check the exact food testing, quality, or production role for degree expectations, sample handling, protective gear, shifts, and lifting.
Transferable skill prompts
Potentially reusable experience includes following protocols, preparing samples, using lab or production equipment, maintaining accurate records, and checking products against specifications.
These are skill-mapping prompts based on group duties and do not establish food-safety qualification or laboratory readiness.
Other titles to search
Employers do not all use the same title. Try these terms when you research the work and its requirements.
Food science technician; agricultural and food science technician; food testing technician; food quality technician.
Practical tradeoffs
This is testing and process work around food products, not recipe development by default.
Education expectations vary: some employers prefer an associate or bachelor's degree while others accept a high school diploma with related experience.
Production schedules may include more than 40 hours, evenings, weekends, protective clothing, lifting, or extended physical activity; check the selected role.
A practical first step
Compare food testing, quality, and production role descriptions in your area. Verify the degree or experience path, actual shift, sample handling, sanitation procedures, protective equipment, and physical tasks with each employer before choosing training.