Food Scientists and Technologists vs Materials Scientists: $89K vs $118K Median Pay

Food Scientists and Technologists vs Materials Scientists: what changes?

Consider Food Scientists and Technologists if you want to 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…. Consider Materials Scientists if you would rather research and study the structures and chemical properties of various natural and synthetic or composite materials, including metals, alloys, rubber, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and glass. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Food Scientists and Technologists and Materials Scientists. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Food Scientists and Technologists

National median pay (2025): $88,720
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,000

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (14,100 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Food Scientists and Technologists brief

Materials Scientists

National median pay (2025): $117,790
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Conduct research on the structures and properties of materials, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and ceramics, to obtain information that could be used to develop new products or enhance existing ones.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 600

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (8,600 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Materials Scientists brief

How the national numbers differ

Materials Scientists has the edge on median pay

Materials Scientists is at $117,790, compared with $88,720 for Food Scientists and Technologists.

Food Scientists and Technologists has the edge on annual openings

Food Scientists and Technologists is at 1,000 annual openings, compared with 600 annual openings for Materials Scientists.

Materials Scientists has the edge on projected growth

Materials Scientists is at 8.3% projected growth, compared with 6.2% projected growth for Food Scientists and Technologists.

52.7/ 100

Food Scientists and Technologists

56/ 100

Materials Scientists

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Food Scientists and Technologists vs Materials Scientists

Dimension	Food Scientists and Technologists	Materials Scientists
Median pay (2025)	$88,720	$117,790
Pay percentile	76.7 percentile	89.1 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	6.2%	8.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,000	600
2025 employment	14,100	8,600
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 4
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Food Scientists and Technologists brief Read Materials Scientists brief

Food Scientists and Technologists vs Materials Scientists: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Food Scientists and Technologists

Materials Scientists

How the national numbers differ

Materials Scientists has the edge on median pay

Food Scientists and Technologists has the edge on annual openings

Materials Scientists has the edge on projected growth

Food Scientists and Technologists vs Materials Scientists

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