Food technologist vs senior food scientist

The differences between food technologists and senior food 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 senior food scientist. Additionally, a senior food scientist has an average salary of $72,882, 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 senior food scientist are product development, culinary, and food processing.

Food technologist vs senior food scientist overview

	Food Technologist	Senior Food Scientist
Yearly salary	$62,229	$72,882
Hourly rate	$29.92	$35.04
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	103,677	92,996
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
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 senior food scientist do?

As a senior food scientist, you need to study various properties of food to make sure that they are safe for eating. This is a very serious job, and you need to be sincere such that the food manufacturing standards of the company meet those made by the governmental institutions. You need to test food samples in a laboratory and make sure that the ingredients in the foods are safe for consumers.

You will be responsible for setting the food standards of the company. Moreover, you will also be in charge of working closely with other food production staff, including microbiologists as well as packaging specialists and buyers. To qualify for this position, an appropriate degree in Food Science or nutrition microbiology is required.

Food technologist vs senior food scientist salary

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

	Food Technologist	Senior Food Scientist
Average salary	$62,229	$72,882
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $98,000	Between $43,000 And $120,000
Highest paying City	Chicago, IL	Chicago, IL
Highest paying state	New York	Illinois
Best paying company	LexisNexis Reed Tech	The Coca-Cola Company
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between food technologist and senior food scientist education

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

	Food Technologist	Senior Food Scientist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Food Science	Food Science
Most common college	Cornell University	Cornell University

Food technologist vs senior food scientist demographics

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

	Food Technologist	Senior Food Scientist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9%	Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2%
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, 8.2% Asian, 12.3% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	19%	19%

Differences between food technologist and senior food 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.

Senior food scientist example responsibilities.

Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Work closely with local government agencies as well as USDA, GIPSA, FDA, USWA and CWB.
Participate on HACCP team for high acid beverages.
Maintain continuous improvement effort on HACCP system within manufacturing.
Key activities include process chemistry development, synthesis of intermediates, compound purification and structure identification, and comprehensive scientific documentation.
Develop an ELISA biosensor system that detects toxins in food.

Food technologist vs senior food scientist skills

Common food technologist skills

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

Common senior food scientist skills

Product Development, 16%
Culinary, 9%
Food Processing, 9%
Food Products, 8%
R, 8%
QA, 6%

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Food Technologist vs Senior Food Scientist

Updated January 8, 2025

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