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Senior food scientist salary
Average senior food scientist salary
$72,882
Senior Food Scientist Salary Overview
A Senior Food Scientist typically earns an average of $72,882 per year, with the hourly rate averaging around $35. Salary figures can differ significantly based on several factors, including location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to their higher cost of living and demand for skilled professionals.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience plays a crucial role, as entry-level positions may start at a lower range, while those with specialized skills or advanced degrees can command significantly higher salaries. Additionally, industries such as biotechnology and food manufacturing tend to offer competitive compensation packages.
Salary by State
When considering relocation for better opportunities, it’s worthwhile to analyze average salaries by state. For example, states with a strong presence in the food industry may provide better pay. Overall, understanding these factors can help you make informed decisions about your career as a Senior Food Scientist.
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Where can a Senior Food Scientist earn more?
Senior food scientist salary estimates from across the web
Average senior food scientist salary by state
The average senior food scientist salary in Illinois, Ohio, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior food scientist salary states are Kentucky, Indiana, and North Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior food scientists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $80,207 | $38.56 |
| 2 | Illinois | $84,422 | $40.59 |
| 3 | Maryland | $77,802 | $37.40 |
| 4 | Montana | $73,316 | $35.25 |
| 5 | New York | $77,455 | $37.24 |
| 6 | South Carolina | $76,555 | $36.81 |
| 7 | Ohio | $82,742 | $39.78 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $74,420 | $35.78 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $73,791 | $35.48 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $75,187 | $36.15 |
| 11 | Delaware | $71,644 | $34.44 |
| 12 | Nevada | $72,914 | $35.05 |
| 13 | Maine | $68,856 | $33.10 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $68,110 | $32.75 |
| 15 | Michigan | $69,752 | $33.53 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $74,326 | $35.73 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $68,309 | $32.84 |
| 18 | California | $78,293 | $37.64 |
| 19 | Kansas | $64,460 | $30.99 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $62,382 | $29.99 |
| 21 | Georgia | $68,697 | $33.03 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $68,436 | $32.90 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $58,384 | $28.07 |
| 24 | Utah | $65,411 | $31.45 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $58,667 | $28.21 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $66,319 | $31.88 |
| 27 | Idaho | $62,732 | $30.16 |
| 28 | Vermont | $58,204 | $27.98 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $63,942 | $30.74 |
| 30 | Iowa | $61,123 | $29.39 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $53,604 | $25.77 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $55,890 | $26.87 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $69,969 | $33.64 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $60,774 | $29.22 |
| 35 | Alaska | $55,335 | $26.60 |
| 36 | Oregon | $59,228 | $28.48 |
| 37 | Washington | $62,322 | $29.96 |
| 38 | Virginia | $55,117 | $26.50 |
| 39 | Texas | $58,833 | $28.29 |
| 40 | Missouri | $54,568 | $26.23 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $51,935 | $24.97 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $56,887 | $27.35 |
| 43 | Alabama | $57,517 | $27.65 |
| 44 | Arizona | $53,448 | $25.70 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $47,694 | $22.93 |
| 46 | Indiana | $48,432 | $23.28 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $51,778 | $24.89 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $52,645 | $25.31 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $46,125 | $22.18 |
| 50 | Colorado | $41,457 | $19.93 |
| 51 | Florida | $46,806 | $22.50 |
Highest paying cities for senior food scientists
The highest-paying cities for senior food scientists are Chicago, IL, San Francisco, CA, and Bridgewater, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | $84,998 | $40.86 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $84,428 | $40.59 |
| 3 | Bridgewater, NJ | $80,034 | $38.48 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $77,531 | $37.27 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $74,360 | $35.75 |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | $68,684 | $33.02 |
| 7 | Wichita, KS | $64,989 | $31.24 |
| 8 | Omaha, NE | $64,194 | $30.86 |
| 9 | Ottumwa, IA | $60,834 | $29.25 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $60,743 | $29.20 |
| 11 | Deer Park, TX | $58,426 | $28.09 |
| 12 | Idaho Falls, ID | $58,248 | $28.00 |
| 13 | Appleton, WI | $56,416 | $27.12 |
| 14 | Greenville, NC | $53,318 | $25.63 |
Senior food scientist salary details
A senior food scientist's salary ranges from $43,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $120,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior food scientist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $120,000 | $10,000 | $58 |
| 75th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| Average | $72,882 | $6,074 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| 10th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
Highest paying senior food scientist jobs
The highest paying types of senior food scientists are senior scientist, scientist, and food safety scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Technologist | $62,229 | $5,186 | $29.92 | 103,677 |
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
| Food Safety Scientist | $80,238 | $6,687 | $38.58 | 106,128 |
| Food Scientist | $74,345 | $6,195 | $35.74 | 93,145 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior food scientists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
James Adams
Adjunct Professor, Texas Woman’s University
It is also well known that the salaries in certain parts of the food industry are different and, in some cases, may influence the decision as to what part of the industry the student would like to be a part of, moving forward. Whether it can be proven, I cannot say, but the unwritten understanding is that the chocolate/candy/confection sections of the food industry pay higher starting salaries than, say, the meat or vegetable processing part of our business.
The great thing about the food industry is that there are opportunities that open up for advancement, growth, and learning every day since the landscape is ever-changing. As responsibility increases, salaries follow.
Top companies hiring senior food scientists now:
Which companies pay senior food scientists the most?
Senior food scientist salaries at The Coca-Cola Company and Cargill are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior food scientist salary at companies like Richelieu Foods and PepsiCo are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Coca-Cola Company | $106,460 | $51.18 |
| 2 | Cargill | $104,585 | $50.28 |
| 3 | Richelieu Foods | $94,763 | $45.56 |
| 4 | PepsiCo | $90,705 | $43.61 |
| 5 | Conagra Brands | $89,686 | $43.12 |
| 6 | TreeHouse Foods | $88,735 | $42.66 |
| 7 | Ferrara Candy | $87,253 | $41.95 |
| 8 | Golden State Foods | $87,094 | $41.87 |
| 9 | Tyson Foods | $86,945 | $41.80 |
| 10 | Quaker Oats | $85,515 | $41.11 |
| 11 | The Hershey Company | $80,967 | $38.93 |
| 12 | ADM | $80,789 | $38.84 |
| 13 | John B. Sanfilippo & Son | $78,613 | $37.79 |
| 14 | Conagra Foods | $78,176 | $37.58 |
| 15 | California Natural Products | $74,739 | $35.93 |
| 16 | A&S Kinard | $74,192 | $35.67 |
| 17 | Balchem | $73,467 | $35.32 |
| 18 | Melaleuca:The Wellness | $73,262 | $35.22 |
| 19 | Quality Custom Distribution | $73,231 | $35.21 |
| 20 | Kagome USA | $71,241 | $34.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Food Scientist salary by industry
The average senior food scientist salary varies across industries:
- The average senior food scientist salary in the education industry is $90,699, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior food scientist salary in the finance industry is $75,041.
- Senior food scientists in the start-up industry earn an average salary of $72,603, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior food scientists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | $90,699 | $43.61 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $75,041 | $36.08 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $74,465 | $35.80 |
| 4 | Start-up | $72,603 | $34.91 |
High paying senior food scientist jobs
Senior food scientist salary trends
The average senior food scientist salary has risen by $14,993 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior food scientist earned $57,889 annually, but today, they earn $72,882 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for senior food scientists over the last decade.
Compare senior food scientist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior food scientist salary over time
Compare senior food scientist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior food scientist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $72,900 | $35.04 | +6.1% |
| 2025 | $68,400 | $32.90 | +5.3% |
| 2024 | $64,800 | $31.15 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $63,200 | $30.37 | -0.5% |
| 2022 | $63,500 | $30.51 | -3.0% |
Recently added senior food scientist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardent Mills | SR. Food Scientist, Baked Goods | Denver, CO | 06/30/2025 | $86,200 |
| Cookunity | Senior Food Scientist | New York, NY | 06/21/2025 | $100,000 |
| Roskamfoods | SR. Food Scientist | San Dimas, CA | 06/21/2025 | $77,220 |
| Schwan's Company | SR. Food Scientist | Fullerton, CA | 06/20/2025 | $73,500 |
| Actalent | Senior Food Scientist | East Hanover, NJ | 06/20/2025 | $85,567 |
| Treehouse Foods | Senior Food Scientist, Value Engineering | Downers Grove, IL | 06/16/2025 | $82,600 |
| Lassonde Pappas and Co Inc. | Scientist, Senior Food | Cherry Hill, NJ | 06/12/2025 | $120,000 |
| Actalent | Senior Food Scientist | East Hanover, NJ | 05/26/2025 | $85,567 |
| Actalent | SR Food Scientist | Germantown, WI | 05/22/2025 | $110,000 |
| Ferrara Candy Company | SR. Food Scientist-Rapid Prototyping | Chicago, IL | 05/17/2025 | $80,300 |
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