SOC 19-4013 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Science Technicians — Alabama
Alabama
Median pay for this occupation in Alabama is $40,940 a year, trailing the national median of $52,130 by 21.5%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.8%
- Openings per year
- 3,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
6.7% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Alabama.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Alabama is $40,940 a year, trailing the national median of $52,130 by 21.5%. Half of workers earn between $38,640 and $44,470. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $38,530 and the ninetieth at $62,060.
The area has 30 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.0 of every thousand jobs. Among the 38 states with published data for this occupation, Alabama ranks 36th by median wage. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 494th of 690 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,530 | −26.1% |
| 25th | $38,640 | −25.9% |
| Median (50th) | $40,940 | −21.5% |
| 75th | $44,470 | −14.7% |
| 90th | $62,060 | +19.0% |
| Mean | $43,710 | −16.2% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Alabama run 11.2% below the national average, so the median of $40,940 goes as far as $46,104 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 11.6% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$40,940as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$46,104US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $40,940 a year, 21.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $38,530 to $62,060 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 30 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 36th of 38 states for this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Science Technicians in Alabama?
The median annual wage is $40,940, or $19.68 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $52,130, so pay in Alabama is 21.5% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Alabama earns more than $62,060 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $38,530 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 30 jobs in this occupation in Alabama. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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