Education:
32%
Bachelor's Degree
23%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Food Science Technicians
This is a sub-career of
Agricultural or Food Science Technician
More sub-careers
Select a specialized sub-career for more details.
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Job Outlook:
Faster than average
Education:
Associate's degree
Salary
High:
$71,370.00
Average:
$51,320.00
Hourly
Average:
$24.68
What they do:
Work with food scientists or technologists to perform standardized qualitative and quantitative tests to determine physical or chemical properties of food or beverage products. Includes technicians who assist in research and development of production technology, quality control, packaging, processing, and use of foods.
On the job, you would:
- Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics.
- Measure, test, or weigh bottles, cans, or other containers to ensure that hardness, strength, or dimensions meet specifications.
- Maintain records of testing results or other documents as required by state or other governing agencies.
Important Qualities
Analytical skills. Agricultural and food science technicians must conduct a variety of observations and on-site measurements, all of which require precision, accuracy, and math skills.
Communication skills. Agricultural and food science technicians must understand and give clear instructions, keep detailed records, and, occasionally, write reports.
Critical-thinking skills. Agricultural and food science technicians reach conclusions through sound reasoning and judgment. They determine how to improve food quality and must test products for a variety of safety standards.
Interpersonal skills. Agricultural and food science technicians need to work well with others. They may supervise agricultural and food processing workers and receive instruction from scientists or specialists, so effective communication is critical.
Physical stamina. Agricultural and food science technicians who work in manufacturing or agricultural settings may need to stand for long periods, lift objects, and generally perform physical labor.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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92% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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86% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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83% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
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82% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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79% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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73% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. | |
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70% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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69% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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68% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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66% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
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78% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. | |
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67% | Investigative - Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service. | |
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67% | Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
|---|---|---|---|
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83% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. | |
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61% | Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. |
Aptitude
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
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72% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). | |
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69% | Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. | |
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69% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
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69% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
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69% | Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. | |
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66% | Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). | |
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66% | Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
Job Details
Responsibilities
Record research or operational data.
Measure physical or chemical properties of materials or objects.
Clean objects.
Maintain laboratory or technical equipment.
Train personnel in technical or scientific procedures.
Prepare biological samples for testing or analysis.
Supervise laboratory work.
Test quality of materials or finished products.
Research methods to improve food products.
Analyze chemical compounds or substances.
Record research or operational data.
Analyze chemical compounds or substances.
Evaluate quality of materials or products.
Examine characteristics or behavior of living organisms.
Analyze chemical compounds or substances.
Prepare compounds or solutions for products or testing.
Test quality of materials or finished products.
Manage scientific or technical project resources.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
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98% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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98% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
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95% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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93% | Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job? | |
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90% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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89% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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89% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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87% | Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job? | |
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84% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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84% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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79% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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76% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
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76% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
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76% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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74% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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74% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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73% | Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running? | |
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73% | Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing? | |
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73% | Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable? | |
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69% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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66% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
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68% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
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83% | Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. | |
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82% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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81% | Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. | |
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79% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. | |
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78% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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78% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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75% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
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73% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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67% | Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. | |
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67% | Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills. | |
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65% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
What Agricultural and Food Science Technicians Do
Agricultural and food science technicians may keep detailed records and collect samples for analyses.
Agricultural and food science technicians assist agricultural and food scientists by performing duties such as measuring and analyzing the quality of food and agricultural products. Duties range from performing agricultural labor with added recordkeeping duties to laboratory testing with significant amounts of office work, depending on the particular field the technician works in.
Duties
Specific duties of these technicians vary with their specialty.
Agricultural science technicians typically do the following:
- Follow protocols to collect, prepare, analyze, and properly store crop or animal samples
- Operate farm equipment and maintain agricultural production areas to conform to scientific testing parameters
- Examine animal and crop specimens to determine the presence of diseases or other problems
- Measure ingredients used in animal feed and other inputs
- Prepare and operate laboratory testing equipment
- Compile and analyze test results
- Prepare charts, presentations, and reports describing test results
Food science technicians typically do the following:
- Collect and prepare samples in accordance with established procedures
- Test food, food additives, and food containers to ensure that they comply with established safety standards
- Help food scientists with food research, development, and quality control
- Analyze chemical properties of food to determine ingredients and formulas
- Compile and analyze test results
- Prepare charts, presentations, and reports describing test results
- Prepare and maintain quantities of chemicals needed to perform laboratory tests
- Maintain a safe, sterile laboratory environment
Agricultural and food science technicians often specialize by subject area, which includes animal health, farm machinery, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, or processing technology. Duties can vary considerably by specialization.
Agricultural science technicians typically study ways to increase the productivity of crops and animals. These workers may keep detailed records, collect samples for analyses, ensure that samples meet proper safety and quality standards, and test crops and animals for disease or to confirm the results of scientific experiments.
Food science technicians who work in manufacturing investigate new production or processing techniques. They also ensure that products will be fit for distribution or are produced as efficiently as expected. Many food science technicians spend time inspecting foodstuffs, chemicals, and additives to determine whether they are safe and have the proper combination of ingredients.
Work Environment
Agricultural technicians held about 17,600 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of agricultural technicians were as follows:
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | 16% |
| Wholesale trade | 12 |
| Animal production and aquaculture | 11 |
| Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences | 10 |
| Crop production | 6 |
Food science technicians held about 21,200 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of food science technicians were as follows:
| Food manufacturing | 40% |
| Animal production and aquaculture | 13 |
| Crop production | 7 |
| Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing | 6 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 6 |
Technicians work in a variety of settings, including laboratories, processing plants, farms and ranches, greenhouses, and offices. Technicians who work in processing plants and agricultural settings may face noise from processing and farming machinery, extreme temperatures, and odors from chemicals or animals. They may need to lift and carry objects, and be physically active for long periods of time.
Work Schedules
Agricultural and food science technicians typically work full time and have standard work schedules. Technicians may need to travel, including international travel.
Getting Started
How to Become an Agricultural or Food Science Technician
Agricultural and food science technicians conduct a variety of observations and on-site measurements.
Agricultural and food science technicians typically need an associate’s degree in biology, chemistry, crop or animal science, or a related field. Some positions require candidates to have a bachelor’s degree, and others a high school diploma or equivalent plus related work experience.
Education
Students interested in a career as an agricultural or food science technician should take as many high school science and math classes as possible. A solid background in applied chemistry, biology, physics, math, and statistics is important. Knowledge of how to use spreadsheets and databases also may be necessary.
Agricultural and food science technicians typically need an associate’s degree in biology, chemistry, crop or animal science, or a related field from an accredited college or university. Some agricultural and food science technician positions require a bachelor’s degree.
Students may take courses in biology, chemistry, plant or animal science, and agricultural engineering as part of their programs. Programs include technical instruction and hands-on experience. Many schools offer internships, cooperative-education, and other programs designed to provide practical experience and enhance employment prospects.
Some agricultural and food science technicians successfully enter the occupation with a high school diploma or equivalent, but they typically need related work experience and on-the-job training that may last a year or more.
Training
Agricultural and food science technicians typically undergo on-the-job training. Various federal government regulations outline the types of training needed for technicians, which varies by work environment and specific job requirements. Training may cover topics such as production techniques, personal hygiene, and sanitation procedures.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Workers who enter the occupation with only a high school diploma or equivalent often must have experience in a related occupation during which they develop their knowledge of agriculture or manufacturing processes. These related occupations include food and tobacco processing workers and agricultural workers.
Job Outlook
Overall employment of agricultural and food science technicians is projected to grow 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 5,500 openings for agricultural and food science technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Demand will continue for agricultural research into topics such as water resources, pests and pathogens, climate and weather patterns, and biofuels and other agricultural products.
Agricultural science technicians will be needed to assist agricultural and food scientists in investigating and improving the diets, living conditions, and genetic makeup of livestock. Food science technicians will help scientists improve food-processing techniques, ensuring that products are safe, waste is limited, and food is shipped efficiently. Technicians also will continue to be needed to help analyze soil composition and soil improvement techniques, find uses for agricultural byproducts, and selectively breed crops to resist pests and disease or to improve taste.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about agricultural and soil science occupations, visit
Soil Science Society of America
For more information about food and animal science occupations, visit
American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists
American Society of Animal Science
Institute of Food Technologists
For information from related governmental agencies, visit
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of agricultural and food science technicians.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Agricultural and Food Scientists |
Agricultural and food scientists research ways to improve the efficiency and safety of agricultural establishments and products. |
Bachelor's degree | $74,940 |
|
Agricultural Engineers |
Agricultural engineers solve problems concerning power supplies, machine efficiency, the use of structures and facilities, pollution and environmental issues, and the storage and processing of agricultural products. |
Bachelor's degree | $83,260 |
|
Agricultural Workers |
Agricultural workers maintain crops and tend livestock. |
See How to Become One | $33,290 |
|
Animal Care and Service Workers |
Animal care and service workers attend to or train animals. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $29,790 |
|
Biological Technicians |
Biological technicians help biological and medical scientists conduct laboratory tests and experiments. |
Bachelor's degree | $49,650 |
|
Chemical Technicians |
Chemical technicians conduct laboratory tests to help scientists analyze the properties of materials. |
Associate's degree | $50,840 |
|
Conservation Scientists and Foresters |
Conservation scientists and foresters manage the land quality of forests, parks, rangelands, and other natural resources. |
Bachelor's degree | $64,420 |
|
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians |
Environmental science and protection technicians monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution and contamination. |
Associate's degree | $48,380 |
|
Food Processing Equipment Workers |
Food processing equipment workers operate machinery that mixes, cooks, or processes ingredients for manufacturing food products. |
See How to Become One | $36,190 |
|
Microbiologists |
Microbiologists study microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi, and some types of parasites. |
Bachelor's degree | $81,990 |