Careers in Food Science and Technology
Career News June 7, 2016Food science is the study of improving agricultural yields while food technology is the science that ensures that these studies are finally fruitful. To join this profession, you will need a certain amount of education level as you will see below. Also, continue reading to learn about the salary details and employment opportunities for people who wish to join the profession.
Career Overview for those with a Food Science and Technology Degree
Food science and food technology are two separate branches that function for the benefits of improved food production under modern and disease free methods. Generally, food science deals with how to better agricultural output while food technology assist in implementing techniques achieved in food science. Jobs related to food science are mainly found in food research institutes like universities, colleges, labs and manufacturing industries. The good thing with this career is that it helps you have an impact on people’s lives in terms of providing healthy food.
| Education details | Bachelor’s degree |
| Additional requirements | Master’s degree and above for university employment |
| Estimated job growth rate (2014) | 5% |
| Average salary in 2014 | $62,470 |
Job Opportunities for those with a Food Science and Technology Degree
Job opportunities for food science specialists are in the thousands. In 2014 for instance, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that there were more than 36,000 people who worked in various agricultural institutes working as food scientists. These jobs, as the BLS also noted, are likely to continue rising at a steady rate of five percent up to the year 2024. On the other hand, the profession attracted an average annual pay of $62,470 in the same year.
Academic knowledge in biology, chemistry, genetics and engineering are some of the relevant things that can help you become an accomplished food scientist in the future. Note, the government is one of the biggest employers of food scientists and is closely followed by institutions of higher learning. However, what matter most as the Institute of Food technologists note is that food scientists are hired to help improve food production in the country. They are in fact a part of world food scientists, and they often meet to exchange knowledge and do scholarly dialogues to ensure that people worldwide will be able to receive nutritious food in satisfactory quantities.
Food Scientists
They study better food packaging and processing methods. They research the nutritional value of different types of food, study how to purify foods with additives and research on better methods of packaging and preserving food. Their work is however guided by government regulation rules on food processing, packaging and preservation.
Food Technologists
Food technologists are mainly concerned with product development. They are found in genetic engineering of plants or in biofuels. Work for food technologists is often done individually, although at times, they can work in groups.
Education Requirements
Any degree program that offers training in nutrition and health science, calculus, chemistry and biology is a good program for students of food science. Visit the IFT website to view a full list of approved degree programs that prospective students wishing to join any of these career paths can enroll for.
