How to hire an associate food scientist

How to hire an associate food scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate food scientist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an associate food scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new associate food scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an associate food scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your associate food scientist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an associate food scientist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an associate food scientist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an associate food scientist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of associate food scientists.

   Type of Associate Food Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Food Scientist	Food and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments.	$16-25
   Crew Member	Crew members assist in the overall daily operations of a business, including restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other industries needing a large workforce. Crew members' duties include attending on a customer's needs, processing payments, taking orders, and handling sanitation services... Show more	$10-17
   Cook/Server	Cooks/servers are employees who take on the dual role of being a cook and a server in the restaurant. They are usually trained cooks who are in charge of preparing meals for the guests... Show more	$11-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Quality Food
   • Food Products
   • Customer Service
   • Quality Customer Service
   • Groceries
   • Quality Standards
   • Ice Cream
   • Food Service
   • Inventory Management
   • Cleanliness
   • Patients
   • Cash Control
   • Slicers
   • Customer Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain cleanliness in food preparation and dining areas in accordance with establish standards.
   • Carry out groceries, check customers out, bag groceries, stock shelves, close
   • Collect the necessary raw material stock from the culinary personnel and prepare the ordered dish.
   • Utilize and operate cutting utensils such as knives, slicers and weighing equipment following menu portion guidelines.
   • Train team members on advance culinary techniques and how to produce in quantity while still maintaining exemplary food quality.
   • Clean and operate a variety of equipment including grills, fryers, fridge and freezers, ovens, and beverage machines.

   More associate food scientist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your associate food scientist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An associate food scientist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an associate food scientist in Nebraska may be lower than in New Hampshire, and an entry-level associate food scientist usually earns less than a senior-level associate food scientist. Additionally, an associate food scientist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average associate food scientist salary

   $43,865yearly

   $21.09 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate food scientist salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average associate food scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$48,591	$23
   2	District of Columbia	$45,316	$22
   3	Oregon	$45,077	$22
   4	Arizona	$43,574	$21
   5	Delaware	$43,542	$21
   6	Connecticut	$43,276	$21
   7	Colorado	$42,987	$21
   8	Idaho	$42,249	$20
   9	Ohio	$42,140	$20
   10	Missouri	$41,256	$20
   11	Tennessee	$40,004	$19
   12	Minnesota	$39,889	$19
   13	North Dakota	$39,192	$19
   14	Maryland	$39,145	$19
   15	California	$38,860	$19
   16	Wisconsin	$38,402	$18
   17	Texas	$38,153	$18
   18	Indiana	$38,056	$18
   19	Montana	$38,038	$18
   20	South Carolina	$37,530	$18

   Average associate food scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Emory University	$54,976	$26.43	10
   2	Plumrose USA	$50,559	$24.31
   3	Catholic Health East	$48,014	$23.08	10
   4	Mars	$47,058	$22.62	3
   5	Yale New Haven Health	$45,990	$22.11	22
   6	HARMON's Photo	$45,789	$22.01
   7	Hospital Sisters Health System	$45,405	$21.83	5
   8	Saint Francis Health System	$44,760	$21.52	2
   9	KIND Snacks	$44,440	$21.37
   10	CookUnity	$44,297	$21.30	14
   11	Jennie-O Turkey Store Sales, LLC	$44,297	$21.30
   12	Brock Group	$44,294	$21.30
   13	Eurofins	$44,175	$21.24	96
   14	MaineGeneral Health	$43,862	$21.09	7
   15	Wonton Food	$43,034	$20.69
   16	Peapod	$42,981	$20.66
   17	Conagra Brands	$42,160	$20.27	6
   18	Meijer	$42,037	$20.21	35
   19	Bozeman Health	$41,188	$19.80	2
   20	Northwell Health	$40,705	$19.57	21

4. Writing an associate food scientist job description

   A good associate food scientist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an associate food scientist job description:

   Associate food scientist job description example

   Friendship Public Charter School operates a thriving network of college preparatory public charter schools. Headquartered in Washington, DC. Friendship serves over 4,800 students in preschool to grade 12 and guides a growing network of alumni to college completion annually. Our mission is to prepare students to become ethical, literate, well-rounded and self-sufficient citizens by providing a world-class education that motivates students to reach high academic standards, to enjoy learning, to achieve success, and to contribute actively to their communities. For 25 years, with the support and guidance of our exceptional faculty, our students have risen to the challenge with high graduation rates, college acceptances and unparalleled success academically and socially.
   
   + Under general supervision, to assist in the preparation and/or serving of a variety of food in quantity, and to perform related work as required
   
   + Participates in the more specialized preparation and/or serving of foods, including preparing main dishes and baked goods, vegetables, salads, desserts and other dishes
   
   + Assists and participates in the operation of the speed-line including preparation and serving various food items
   + Assists in requisitioning, receiving and storing of foods and supplies
   
   + Estimates quantities of food and supplies required
   
   + Assists in taking of inventory and completing Daily Worksheet
   
   + Assists in maintaining proper care of equipment and sanitation of the kitchen
   
   + Washes dishes and kitchen equipment
   
   + Serves in operation of assorted equipment - grill and fryer
   
   + Serves as Point of Service/Cashier
   
   + High school diploma or GED
   
   + One year of experience in the preparation and serving of food, dealing with the public, or any combination of training and experience that could likely provide the desired knowledge and abilities
   
   + Demonstrate dependability and cleanliness
   
   + Effective November 1, 2021, all adult employees, contractors, interns, and volunteers working in person in a public, public charter, independent, private, or parochial school in the District of Columbia, and all adult employees, contractors, interns, and volunteers working in person in a child care facility regulated by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, shall have received a full course of a vaccination against COVID-19 unless they have been granted an exemption from such vaccination pursuant to, and are compliant with the requirements of, Section IV of this Order."
   
   FPCS's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified applicants and employees regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, status as a special disabled veteran, or any other protected criteria as established by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to recruitment and hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, transfer, layoff, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment. Employment decisions at FPCS are based solely upon relevant criteria, including an individual's capabilities, qualifications, training, experience and suitability.
   
   External Company URL: www.friendshipschools.org
   
   Street: 1400 1st Street , NW

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find associate food scientists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your associate food scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit associate food scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with associate food scientist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new associate food scientist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the associate food scientist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an associate food scientist?