Food technologist vs food safety scientist

The differences between food technologists and food safety scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a food technologist and a food safety scientist. Additionally, a food safety scientist has an average salary of $80,238, which is higher than the $62,229 average annual salary of a food technologist.

The top three skills for a food technologist include food safety, food preparation and regulatory compliance. The most important skills for a food safety scientist are safety data, safety issues, and drug safety.

Food technologist vs food safety scientist overview

	Food Technologist	Food Safety Scientist
Yearly salary	$62,229	$80,238
Hourly rate	$29.92	$38.58
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	103,677	106,128
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a food technologist do?

A food technologist is responsible for developing safe and healthy food products, managing convenient food manufacturing processes, and ensuring that the procedures adhere to internal guidelines and state regulations. Food technologists identify ways to improve food preservation methods, as well as strategizing in consumer-friendly packaging and distribution processes. They also research the current food trends and technology advancements according to public demands that would generate more revenue resources and increase the business' profits. A food technologist studies the product's reviews and analyzes techniques for more efficient product preparation.

What does a food safety scientist do?

A food safety scientist's responsibility is to improve food quality and packaging and to create new food products by developing excellent processing, storage, and transportation procedures with proper compliance with the health and safety standards. He/she is skilled at analyzing the nutritional food content, discovering new food sources, and researching safe and healthy food processing. In addition, this food scientist studies the microbiological, chemical, and physical properties of food and ingredients to ensure its safety for consumers.

Food technologist vs food safety scientist salary

Food technologists and food safety scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Technologist	Food Safety Scientist
Average salary	$62,229	$80,238
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $98,000	Between $48,000 And $132,000
Highest paying City	Chicago, IL	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	LexisNexis Reed Tech	Genentech
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between food technologist and food safety scientist education

There are a few differences between a food technologist and a food safety scientist in terms of educational background:

	Food Technologist	Food Safety Scientist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Food Science	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Food technologist vs food safety scientist demographics

Here are the differences between food technologists' and food safety scientists' demographics:

	Food Technologist	Food Safety Scientist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9%	Male, 32.1% Female, 67.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 12.0% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 12.3% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	19%	19%

Differences between food technologist and food safety scientist duties and responsibilities

Food technologist example responsibilities.

Develop and process data and presentations and manage technical documents for FDA & USDA.
Organize schedules for employees and set payroll -Provide direction and solve employee problems -Be extremely personable & manage stock control
Train and supervise employees GMP and GHP.
Create process controls and preventative actions through HACCP system/principles.
Prepare and package foods according to USDA standards for consumer consumption
Maintain up to date knowledge of USDA regulations, policies and appropriate product technology.

Food safety scientist example responsibilities.

Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Draft letters to the FDA and license partners regarding evaluation and reporting of adverse event reports.
Develop complete responses to FDA inquiries regarding investigational and market product safety which present accurate benefit-risk information and support company initiatives.
Used quantitative western blot to support selection of biomarkers specific to human dehydration.
Utilize FACS to study enrichment module separation efficiency and test various biomarkers by fluorescent imaging.
Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.

Food technologist vs food safety scientist skills

Common food technologist skills

Food Safety, 16%
Food Preparation, 8%
Regulatory Compliance, 5%
Cleanliness, 4%
Safety Standards, 4%
Laboratory Equipment, 4%

Common food safety scientist skills

Safety Data, 13%
Safety Issues, 12%
Drug Safety, 10%
FDA, 8%
Study Reports, 7%
Food Safety, 7%

Food Technologist vs. similar jobs

Food Technologist related careers

Food Technologist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Food Technologist
Food Technologist vs Food Safety Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs