How to hire a food scientist

How to hire a food scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step 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 a food scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new food scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a food scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a food scientist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or 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 a 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 a food scientist that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of food scientists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Food Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Food Scientist	Agricultural and food scientists research ways to improve the efficiency and safety of agricultural establishments and products.	$21-58
   Quality Control	As the name entails, the job of a quality control inspector is to inspect, maintain, and improve the quality and standard of products. They are responsible for ensuring the company's reputation is not damaged due to defective products or inferior manufacturing processes... Show more	$11-21
   Quality Control Chemist	A Quality Control Chemist uses chemistry lab skills to test and measure materials, usually in a manufacturing or pharmaceutical field. They analyze samples using scientific equipment, prepare study protocols, collect data, and identify and investigate abnormal test results.	$21-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Product Development
   • Project Management
   • Food Safety
   • Pilot Plant
   • FDA
   • Technical Support
   • QA
   • Culinary
   • Plant Trials
   • Product Specifications
   • Bench Top
   • Food Products
   • Laboratory Equipment
   • Microbiology

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Achieve accurate, quick QC sample analysis to ensure product integrity.
   • Lead a collaboration with another biotechnology company to design ELISAs for the purpose of evaluating novel reagents.
   • Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
   • Maintain all QA lab equipment used for preprocess and finish food testing.
   • Perform HPLC and GC method development and validations to support ANDA filings.
   • Work on extrusion line; co-developed granola pieces for cereal application and agglomerate bars.

   More food scientist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your food scientist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A 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 a food scientist in North Carolina may be lower than in Ohio, and an entry-level food scientist usually earns less than a senior-level food scientist. Additionally, a 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 food scientist salary

   $74,345yearly

   $35.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level food scientist salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average food scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$89,313	$43
   2	New York	$80,733	$39
   3	Michigan	$76,761	$37
   4	Illinois	$75,394	$36
   5	Georgia	$71,674	$34
   6	Pennsylvania	$68,694	$33
   7	Washington	$67,746	$33
   8	Minnesota	$66,087	$32
   9	Wisconsin	$64,802	$31
   10	Missouri	$63,025	$30
   11	Idaho	$62,366	$30
   12	Texas	$61,285	$29
   13	North Carolina	$55,086	$26
   14	Colorado	$51,480	$25
   15	Indiana	$50,652	$24
   16	Florida	$48,948	$24

   Average food scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	LexisNexis Reed Tech	$111,745	$53.72
   2	The Coca-Cola Company	$110,482	$53.12
   3	Cargill	$106,943	$51.41	14
   4	The Clorox Company	$102,114	$49.09	16
   5	Colgate-Palmolive	$101,852	$48.97	10
   6	WhiteWave Foods	$94,316	$45.34
   7	Rich Products	$93,273	$44.84	5
   8	National Starch And Chemical Holding Corporation	$92,899	$44.66
   9	Conagra Brands	$92,657	$44.55	4
   10	PepsiCo	$91,353	$43.92	11
   11	Tyson Foods	$90,515	$43.52
   12	Hillshire Brands	$90,357	$43.44
   13	SDIX, LLC Marketing	$87,688	$42.16
   14	General Mills	$87,009	$41.83	7
   15	Utz Brands	$86,783	$41.72
   16	Frito-Lay	$84,875	$40.81
   17	Mead Johnson & Company LLC	$83,799	$40.29
   18	Institute for Environmental	$83,792	$40.28
   19	Kellogg	$83,359	$40.08
   20	PGP International	$82,906	$39.86

4. Writing a food scientist job description

   A good 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 a food scientist job description:

   Food scientist job description example

   This position is focused on new product development, menu innovation projects, competitor analysis, and product testing. Primary areas of development will be in our growth areas of non-traditional locations (c-stores, airports, and universities) and exploring opportunities to create high margins and operational efficiencies within our franchise stores. It will be key for this individual to be thoroughly trained in all Godfather's Pizza product preparation systems and how our field employees execute on these systems.
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
   
   Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. To request accommodation, please contact Human Resources.
   
   Conceptualize and develop new recipes and products to be prepared and sold at GPI franchise locations.
   Continually develop ways to enhance current product line to improve quality and simplify restaurant procedures.
   Learn proper operation and maintenance of current Godfather's kitchen equipment and test new kitchen equipment, providing detailed summaries of findings and recommendations.
   Understand GPI's kitchen and culinary constraints and develop products or process efficiencies that can improve margins while maintaining brand quality.
   Monitor market trends and design new products that will attract both new and existing customers.
   Analyze current and potential (i.e. grocery stores, web-based, etc.) competitor market offerings and work to create new and innovative products to compete with them. This will involve travel to other markets to assess regional products that could offer opportunities within our system.
   Effectively present ideas and concepts to department and GPI leadership through product cuttings and meetings.
   Visit our existing locations on a regular basis to better understand their specific operations and look for potential product opportunities.
   Attend industry related trade shows, and frequently work these shows.
   Participate in focus groups on all new products as required.
   Prepare for and participate in photo shoots.
   Occasional field training as required, which may include new store openings.
   
   POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
   
   Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Culinology, Baking Science or related scientific field with a minimum of 2 years related experience.
   
   Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint)
   
   Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
   
   Proven track record of executing projects from concept to launch with minimal supervision.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right food scientist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your food scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit 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 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 food scientist

   Once you've found the food scientist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   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 a food scientist?