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Job outlook for food chemists in the United States
Are food chemist jobs in demand?
Food chemist job and salary trends over time
Food chemist jobs over time
Food chemist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 144 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 148 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 149 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 151 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 150 | 0.00% |
Average food chemist salary over time
Food chemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $62,727 | $30.16 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | $61,406 | $29.52 | +1.0% |
| 2024 | $60,821 | $29.24 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | $59,120 | $28.42 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $58,329 | $28.04 | +3.5% |
Food chemist jobs by state
Most common states for food chemists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,231 | 18% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 102 | 14% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 129 | 13% |
| 4 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 373 | 12% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 106 | 12% |
| 6 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,103 | 11% |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 644 | 11% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 591 | 11% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 146 | 11% |
| 10 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 864 | 10% |
| 11 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 646 | 10% |
| 12 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 511 | 10% |
| 13 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 280 | 10% |
| 14 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 127 | 10% |
| 15 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 110 | 10% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 77 | 10% |
| 17 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 66 | 10% |
| 18 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 568 | 9% |
| 19 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 523 | 9% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 57 | 9% |
Most common cities for food chemists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalton | 1 | 3% | $60,074 |
Food Chemist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of food chemist experts
Queens University of Charlotte
Ohio Dominican University
North Carolina State University
Northern Kentucky University
University of the Pacific
Brigham Young University
Northern Kentucky University
Southwestern College
University of Kentucky
Quinnipiac University
University of Illinois at Springfield
College of Idaho
SUNY at Albany
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
John Richardson: Skills? Well, both hard and soft... Obviously, you will need to have the basic lab and knowledge skills that would be expected of a competent chemistry graduate. Yes, your new employer will spend time training you in the specific skills that pertain to your new job, but basic knowledge and skill sets (e.g., pipetting, calculating dilution factors, having baseline knowledge of common instrumentation) will be expected. As for soft skills, be friendly, cooperative, and curious. Extend these character traits to both your peers and supervisors. Other useful skills that my former students mention would be having some basic knowledge of business and perhaps coding.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
John Richardson: Good general advice to someone just beginning in a new career would be to keep that work ethic up...Show up when you are supposed to and work the hours that you are contractually obligated to work. Of course, set firm boundaries as well. If you are going above and beyond, be sure that your supervisor is noticing and in your court to see that you are properly compensated or otherwise rewarded.
Justin Moss
Assistant ProfessorQueens University of Charlotte
Chemistry
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Justin Moss: Chemistry is a good profession to enter due to its evolving and interdisciplinary nature, job demand, competitive salaries, and rewarding work.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Christopher Martin: I believe that some of the important skills that chemists will find in the field in the next 3-5 years include the ability to be self-motivated, flexible, and to be a self-learner. The increase in the use of AI, automated processes, and digital resources will ask the chemist of the future to do more than we ever imagined in the past. Being able to learn, pivot, and leverage these emerging technologies in the chemical field will separate the new chemists from the older generation and whoever is willing to learn and lead in these areas will be highly successful.
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Lucian Lucia: EACH DAY PRESENTS A WHOLE NEW SET OF AMAZING AND DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES WHICH WE OFTEN TAKE FOR GRANTED; FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE THE CENTRAL SCIENCE AND THEREFORE PLUG INTO MEDICINE, BIOLOGY, MATERIALS, AND ENGINEERING AMONG A HOST OF DISCIPLINES IN WHICH CHEMISTRY, THE MOLECULAR SCIENCE, PLAYS A KEY ROLE. WE ARE TASKED WITH DEVELOPING OR ANALYZING CHEMICAL PHENOMENA FOR EACH OF THESE DISCIPLINES. GIVEN THAT CHEMISTRY DEALS WITH REACTIONS, MECHANISMS, AND THE MOLECULAR BEHAVIOR OF MATTER, WE TEND TO WORK AT A LAB, PILOT, OR EVEN INDUSTRIAL SCALE TO MONITOR THE EFFICIENCY, QUALITY, AND QUANTITY OF OUR REACTIONS. FOR INSTANCE, WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT PINE BARK AS A SOURCE OF VALUABLE ANTI-OXIDANTS FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND ARE THEREFORE COLLECTING THEM, GRINDING THEM, AND METICULOUSLY EXTRACTING THE ANTI-OXIDANTS. OUR HOPE IS TO DO THIS AT A LARGE SCALE IN WHICH TONS OF BARK ARE PRE-PROCESSED IN SUCH MANNER BEFORE THEIR NORMAL FATE OF BURNING FOR FUEL OR USE AS GROUND COVER (E.G., MULCH).
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lucian Lucia: BECAUSE IT IS KEY TO SOLVING THE GRAND CHALLENGES OF HUMAN HEALTH, CLEAN WATER AND AIR, ABUNDANT AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD, AND CLEAN ENERGY. EACH OF THESE NEEDS DESPERATELY NEED SOMEONE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE ONLY AVAILABLE TO CHEMISTS. AS CHEMISTS, WE WILL EXPLORE THE MATERIALS, CHEMICALS, AND PROCESSES NEEDED TO ADDRESS EACH OF THE CHALLENGES. WE WILL NOT DO THIS WORK IN A VACUUM, BUT COLLABORATE WITH ENGINEERS, BIOLOGISTS, PHYSICISTS, AND MATERIALS SCIENTISTS. WE MELD WELL IN A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM AND POSSESS A DETAILED LOGIC, KNOWLEDGE, AND POISE WHICH MAKE US AN INDISPENSABLE MEMBER OF THE TEAM. THE WORLD DESPERATELY NEEDS CHEMISTS! MOREOVER, WE MUST OVERCOME THE STIGMA IT HAS BORNE FOR MANY YEARS IN ORDER TO PROPERLY ENTICE STUDENTS OF THE HIGHEST TALENT AND INTELLECT BECAUSE IT HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE OUR LIVES.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Lucian Lucia: THIS IS A VERY LOADED QUESTION! CHEMISTS RECOGNIZE HOW IMPERATIVE IT REMAINS FOR CHANGING THE QUALITY OF OUR LIVES, YET, WE INTENSELY FEEL AND FACE THE BURDEN OF ITS IMAGE AS A POLLUTING FORCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD. IN MANY WAYS, WE HAVE BROUGHT THE BURDEN ON OURSELVES BY NOT RECOGNIZING AND EMBRACING THE POTENTIAL OF GREEN CHEMISTRY AS A FORCE FOR GOOD AND CHANGE. AS WITH ANY TECHNOLOGY, THERE ARE PROS AND CONS, BUT THE COMMUNITY OF CHEMISTRY HAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY PROVIDED A COGENT ARGUMENT FOR WHY IT SHOULD BE PURSUED BY MANY MORE STUDENTS. TODAY, MORE THAN EVER, IT HAS CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF MANY OTHER DISCIPLINES WHO DIP THEIR FEET IN IT BECAUSE IT IS SO ESSENTIAL TO MANY OF THE CHALLENGES WE ENUMERATED ABOVE. WE ARE A NOBLE PROFESSON, LIKE LAW OR MEDICINE, BUT SHROUDED IN MYSTERY BECAUSE WE DO NOT TEND TO ENGAGE IN ARGUMENTS OVERCOMING THE POLEMICS WE FACE IN SOCIETY. CHEMISTRY CAN DO A LOT OF GOOD, BUT WE NEED TO MANAGE OUR SCIENCE TO FOCUS ON ITS SUSTAINABILITY AND PROCLAIM IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Isabelle Lagadic Ph.D.: I’ve met employers asking me if I could teach my students basic skills like “being on time”, “writing a proper email”, “clearly and carefully documenting their work”, “using critical thinking to stop a recording or an experiment when it is obvious that it is not working”. Those very basic skills that everyone takes for granted in addition of basic technical skills are going to become the most prevalent in the coming years. What’s scary is the collision between the inevitable advancement of Ai in this field and this lack of basic skills. It is difficult to train people on tomorrow’s skills if they don’t already master today’s skills.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Konstantinos Vogiatzis: The day-to-day work heavily depends on the actual position. It might include the application of analytical or spectroscopic techniques for quality control, synthesis of molecules or materials, or simply the utilization of computers for the simulation of chemical processes.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Konstantinos Vogiatzis: It’s hard to respond to this question, since chemical technology is exciting in any aspect! The chemical elements are the alphabet of a chemist, and the decillion of different combinations between them form an enormous chemical space that needs to be explored for the discovery of new, fascinating molecular structures. Modern AI is actively helping the chemist to navigate the molecular space. Some people (like me!) dislike the laborious chemical synthesis, but for others this is the true beauty of our discipline.
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Dr. Jingbo Liu PhD: People in the chemistry profession often appreciate the opportunity to contribute to scientific advancement and the practical application of their work in improving people’s lives. The field offers continuous learning and the chance to work on diverse, cutting-edge projects. However, some challenges include the need for meticulous attention to detail, handling of potentially hazardous substances, and the pressure to produce results in research. Additionally, the work can sometimes be demanding and require long hours in the laboratory. Nevertheless, the satisfaction of making meaningful contributions to science and society and the intellectual stimulation provided by the field make it a rewarding profession for many.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Jingbo Liu PhD: Chemistry is a great profession to enter now because it is at the forefront of solving many global challenges. From developing new energy sources to creating medical treatments, chemists play a crucial role in advancing science and improving quality of life. Furthermore, the demand for chemists is expected to grow in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, energy, and materials science. The ongoing technological advancements also mean chemists have access to increasingly sophisticated tools and techniques, which can significantly enhance their research capabilities. Moreover, the growing emphasis on sustainability and green chemistry presents numerous opportunities for chemists to positively impact the environment and society.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Jingbo Liu PhD: A chemist’s day-to-day tasks vary greatly depending on their specific role and field. However, everyday tasks include designing and conducting experiments, analyzing data, writing reports, and maintaining safety protocols in the laboratory. Someone entering the field might start as a laboratory assistant or technician, preparing samples, maintaining equipment, and assisting with experiments and research. They could also be involved in data analysis, using various software tools to interpret and visualize experimental results. Furthermore, they may participate in team meetings to discuss their findings and plan future research directions. It’s a dynamic and exciting field with plenty of opportunities for learning and growth.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Joseph Harrison: Chemists typically like using their problem-solving skills to advance science, but sometimes Chemists, especially in entry-level positions can be repetitive (i.e., doing the same analysis over and over again)
Dr. Jaron Hansen
Professor and ChairBrigham Young University
Chemistry
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Dr. Jaron Hansen: Likes: Intellectual Challenge, Contributing to Society, Variety of Career Opportunities, Hands-On Laboratory Work, Collaboration and Teamwork. Dislikes: Repetitive or Mundane Work, Pressure to Produce Results, Limited Funding and Job Instability.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Jaron Hansen: Entering the field of chemistry can be advantageous for several reasons including a growing demand, diverse career opportunities, and the ability to innovate and contribute to solving plaguing societal problems.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Jaron Hansen: Chemists are involved in a wide range of jobs on a day-to-day basis. A chemist's day-to-day activities can vary widely depending on their specific role, industry, and field of specialization. However, here are some common tasks that chemists might engage in: Research and Experimentation, Analysis and Testing, Product Development, Quality Control, Data Analysis and Interpretation, Documentation and Reporting, Collaboration and Communication, Lab Maintenance and Safety.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Patrick Hare: Facility with using and interpreting AI results is an obvious growing need. Many of those skills are just applied analytical and critical thinking. The trick will be to do the applying and keep them fresh. Understanding how the systems work will also be useful.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Daniel King: Chemistry is such a broad field that people with a wide range of skill sets have the opportunity to be successful. People who are particularly strong in math often gravitate towards careers associated with physical or analytical chemistry. People who struggle with math but have strong experimental skills can find a career in organic, inorganic or biochemistry. People who do not like laboratory work but like chemistry might find a career as a theoretical or computational chemist. Careers might involve working in an office, working in a laboratory or working outside, depending on the subdiscipline that you choose. In addition, chemistry is likely to be part of the solution to many, if not most, of the world’s biggest problems, such as climate change, health, clean water, agriculture, affordable energy, pollution. Consequently, it is unlikely that the need for chemists will be diminishing anytime soon.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Dr. Daniel King: This is also going to vary dramatically based on the type of chemistry that someone does. Many people like understanding and/or discovering what is going on at a fundamental level, and chemistry provides that opportunity. While many chemists like working in a lab, some chemists do not like lab work, due to the strong smells, the potential health hazards, and/or the repetitiveness of some of the work. Many chemists like the opportunity to learn something new on a regular basis. Some chemists like the pay, which is often good relative to some other professions. The diversity of career paths is popular among chemists. Chemists can work at traditional chemical companies making new chemicals; they can work at pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs; they can work with materials, such as printing and building materials; they can work at cosmetics companies or in the food industry; they can work to understand the environment and/or to solve environmental problems. Many chemistry students might dislike the focus on math or the heavy workload, although this is probably less of an issue for professional chemists, as someone who has become a professional chemist has hopefully chosen a subdiscipline that aligns with their interests.
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
David Hecht Ph.D.: Do your homework and try to get within the range for the position and the level of experience.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
David Hecht Ph.D.: Work to stay positive and have a 'can do' attitude. Be willing to take on new tasks, responsibilities and try to go the 'extra mile'. Don't be afraid to say you do not know how to do something, but are willing to learn.
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Arthur Cammers: Non-academic chemists, or more broadly, molecular scientists, perform and direct laboratory work to research creative ways to develop, control quality, or improve products in manufacturing, textiles, polymer/ plastics, paints/ coatings, battery, pharmaceutical, toxicology, food, material safety/ compliance to standards or environmental analysis.
Changqing Chen Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWhat general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: 1. Analytical skills and communication skills will become more important since they are harder to be replaced by AI. 2. If interested, try to learn some information on AI and machine learning, which will be used more in chemistry in the near future on design and synthesis of new molecules/materials, environmental chemistry, green chemistry, and chemistry education.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: 1. A chemistry degree provides many opportunities for a wide variety of careers. Jobs can be found in big chemical or pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, small startup companies, as well as educational institutions. Sometimes, if you think outside the box, you can find other opportunities, such as some non-lab jobs (sales, technical support, consulting firms, etc.). If it is hard to find a permanent job you like, start with a temporary position, which might turn into a permanent position if your performance is excellent. 2. You do not need to match exactly what you learned in college with your job responsibilities. Be ready to apply the problem-solving skills you learned in new field/project. 3. Be curious, always eager to learn new skills/knowledge. 4. Be honest, learn from your mistakes.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Changqing Chen Ph.D.: Try to develop some business skills on product marketing and sales. Try to apply your scientific and engineering skills to business and become an all-around player.
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical SciencesQuinnipiac University
Microbiological Sciences And Immunology
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lisa Cuchara Ph.D.: The first and foremost would be Critical Thinking. We live in a world where facts can be easily acquired, sometimes even by asking Siri/Alexa/ChatGPT/Google/etc. But critical thinking is timeless and priceless. I can ask anyone on the street what xyz is and they can look it up, but can they provide advice or interpret.
Also being a good steward towards science and being willing and able to communicate not just with peers as we are trained, but also with the public, the politicians, the board members. John Holdren*, stated that Scientists should be tithing at least 10 percent of their time to public service ... including activism. In the ever growing science denialism that is happening in our country being able to communicate science with the public is important. As Peter Hotaz states, "Anti-science propaganda is "killing Americans in unprecedented numbers,""
*Holdren is an American scientist who served as the senior advisor to President Barack Obama on science and technology issues through his roles as assistant to the president for science and technology, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a Research Professor in Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
Marc Klingshirn Ph.D.
Associate Professor of ChemistryUniversity of Illinois at Springfield
Chemistry
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Marc Klingshirn Ph.D.: Science professions are strong, especially in the medical and environmental fields. The traditional areas of science including chemistry, biology and environmental science will continue to be relevant. That being said, with issues related to health and climate change becoming more and more prevalent and of concern, the need to understand how these traditional areas of science interplay with each other is becoming increasingly important. A single area of science is likely not going to solve the problem alone; the disciplines must work together.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Marc Klingshirn Ph.D.: People are drawn to science for various reasons, but many enjoy science-related fields due to the discovery aspect. Science continually to leads to new questions and subsequent answers that help us understand the world around us, which can be exciting. At the same time, that discovery leads to constant change, which can lead to frustration. We tend to like clear-cut answers that are black and white. That doesn't always happen in science. That ambiguity then has tendencies to make those outside of the profession question the validity of science, which in turn is frustrating to those who are actively engaged because they feel their work is deemed false.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Marc Klingshirn Ph.D.: This will obviously depend on the job itself, but if we consider a recent graduate with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, they will most likely be performing routine sample analysis using established protocols and procedures. Relevant data analysis will also most likely be required. Following necessary safety procedures and environmental guidelines will also be essential as some materials may be hazardous and because of relevant environmental regulations and handling needs.
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Bonnie Cantrell: Chemistry is the backbone to most protocols for the material, medical, and biological sciences.
Without chemistry, we would not know many of the things we know today. It will always be relevant in
helping change the scientific world as we know it. The advancements in science technology alone makes
chemistry today more exciting than ever. Just with balances from 1980's to now, we went from only
being able to weigh with counter balance weights to having a digital scale read accurately to 0.001
milligrams. Chemistry used to be more theoretical and only explainable from what we could make react
together. Now we have technology that can visualize the chemical composition and structure allowing
for us to create solutions to problems we could only dream of before. Whether you are wanting danger,
to save lives, or to help make this planet a better place to live, being a chemist can help you fuel your
passions.
What will help Food Chemists increase their earning potential?
Bonnie Cantrell: When a chemist enters the job field, there is three main options for them: academia,
government, or industry. In academia, there are two types of careers: lecturers and researchers. A
lecturer position usually teaches the introductory level classes and one or two advanced level courses. A
majority of their days revolve around creating course content, setting up teaching laboratories,
mentoring students, and grading. Research professors typically teach the upper level courses in their
research specialty, but overall teach less courses than a lecturer to allow time for research. A majority of
a researcher's days include the same tasks as the lecturer, but they also work on writing grants to
continue to fund their research and edit manuscripts for journal publication of their research. Both
positions are also required to participate on committees that create the structure for the school's future
directions. Faculty entering academia all work towards becoming tenured. Those that have made it,
have job security and more confidence in their jobs.
Entry government positions and most of industry for a chemist would be a lot more directly
involved with laboratory work. The laboratory work you do though is almost always dictated by your
employer. This means you don't get to study what you are interested in, but you can focus more on the
chemistry as you don't have to teach and constantly apply for grants. Usually advancement in these
types of careers changes your day to day into more regulation and management responsibilities and less
hands-on involvement with chemicals.
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Dr. Kevin Francis: I am a firm believer that if you love your job you will never work a day in your life, so feel this
should not be the primary goal. Many of those I was in school with make triple or even more
than my salary but have expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs. Some have switched jobs
multiple times due to this dissatisfaction. At the same time, if you have invested in your
education and training you should at least make a living wage.
In Chemistry at least a Master's degree is needed for most decent paying jobs. I encourage
students not to fear graduate schools and remain confident. Apply to those offering intership
opportunities or other on the job trainings. Many of our graduate students complete these during
the summer. Many of the internships lead to good jobs in those companies upon graduation.
It is more important to enjoy your job though than to get paid a lot to do it.
Alan Chen Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept of Chemistry & the RNA Institute, University at AlbanySUNY at Albany
Chemistry
What general advice would you give to a Food Chemist?
Alan Chen Ph.D.: For entry-level chemistry jobs, by far the best preparation you can get is to do as much hands-on lab research as you can during your undergraduate training. This includes summer REU programs, mentored thesis research, volunteering in labs, summer internships, co-ops, etc. Hiring managers universally want to see not only what skills/assays/instruments you are familiar with, but also that you have real-world, problem solving experience that goes beyond the classroom and textbooks.
What Food Chemist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alan Chen Ph.D.: Our most successful students start research no later than sophomore year and many opt for our 5-year combined BS/MS track. These students outcompete BS-level applicants for entry-level jobs, and start at higher salary and responsibility levels as many companies will count time in graduate school as "prior experience". The MS degree is particularly versatile as it can also be earned part-time by current employees looking to advance, and unlike the PhD does not over-qualify you for the vast majority of entry level chemist positions. MS degrees typically enable early-career chemists to move up the ranks into management or team-leader positions after a few years. They are also a possible way for recent grads who were unable to get a job due to lack of research experience in undergrad, to get that crucial research experience during their MS thesis, and possibly even upgrade-in-place to our PhD program if they are doing really well. Basically, there seems to be no drawback to getting an MS in Chemistry at a research-intensive university for the vast majority of scientific career tracks.