Food analyst vs laboratory analyst

The differences between food analysts and laboratory analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a food analyst has an average salary of $54,674, which is higher than the $44,024 average annual salary of a laboratory analyst.

The top three skills for a food analyst include product development, lims and FDA. The most important skills for a laboratory analyst are test methods, lab equipment, and lims.

Food analyst vs laboratory analyst overview

	Food Analyst	Laboratory Analyst
Yearly salary	$54,674	$44,024
Hourly rate	$26.29	$21.17
Growth rate	6%	9%
Number of jobs	48,479	44,074
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	43	38
Years of experience	-	2

Food analyst vs laboratory analyst salary

Food analysts and laboratory analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Analyst	Laboratory Analyst
Average salary	$54,674	$44,024
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $83,000	Between $31,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	AbbVie
Best paying industry	-	Pharmaceutical

Differences between food analyst and laboratory analyst education

There are a few differences between a food analyst and a laboratory analyst in terms of educational background:

	Food Analyst	Laboratory Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	Stanford University

Food analyst vs laboratory analyst demographics

Here are the differences between food analysts' and laboratory analysts' demographics:

	Food Analyst	Laboratory Analyst
Average age	43	38
Gender ratio	Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7%	Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between food analyst and laboratory analyst duties and responsibilities

Food analyst example responsibilities.

Provide training of DoD and IC programs to sensor system engineers, application developers, program leads and peers.
Utilize and interpret USDA grading standards and product specifications.
Prepare samples and conduct various analyses in an FDA and cgmp-regulate environment.
Handle projects and testing for shelf life studies, nutritional analysis, and FDA detain.
Prepare monthly budget recommendations base on historical trends and feasibility; assist other departments during transition to SQL server base reporting.
Perform research and development on various ADM product streams including soybeans, cocoa, fiber and other commodities.

Laboratory analyst example responsibilities.

Use sophisticate laboratory instrumentation (HPLC, FTIR, UV, GC) and computer systems to collect and record data.
Analyze organic compounds using gravimetric, titration, distillation and spectrophotometry methods.
Prepare for and represent the laboratory during FDA, customer, and ISO audits.
Complete preparation of organic samples for GC, HPLC, IR and GCMS analysis.
Prepare solid and aqueous samples for analysis on diagnostic instruments including GC, GCMS and IC.
Utilize internal LIMS computer database for data entry and communication.

Food analyst vs laboratory analyst skills

Common food analyst skills

Product Development, 31%
Lims, 26%
FDA, 17%
Food Products, 9%
USDA, 8%
Analytical Methods, 6%

Common laboratory analyst skills

Test Methods, 8%
Lab Equipment, 7%
Lims, 5%
Laboratory Procedures, 5%
Sample Preparation, 5%
Analytical Methods, 4%

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Food Analyst vs Laboratory Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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