SOC 19-1012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Scientists and Technologists — California
California · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage here is $93,950 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $88,720.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +6.5%
- Openings per year
- 1,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for California.
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
The median wage here is $93,950 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $88,720. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $74,660 and $120,100. The lowest tenth earn under $60,060, while the highest tenth earn more than $140,810.
The area has 2,210 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.1 of every thousand jobs. California ranks number 13th out of 39 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, San Jose records the highest median at $110,810. Of the 793 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 245th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $60,060 | −32.3% |
| 25th | $74,660 | −15.8% |
| Median (50th) | $93,950 | +5.9% |
| 75th | $120,100 | +35.4% |
| 90th | $140,810 | +58.7% |
| Mean | $97,980 | +10.4% |
Highest-paying metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose | $110,810 | 50 | |
| 2 | San Francisco | $98,930 | 380 | |
| 3 | Merced | $96,430 | 40 | |
| 4 | Fresno | $93,750 | 110 | |
| 5 | Los Angeles | $91,060 | 550 | |
| 6 | Salinas | $90,080 | 30 | |
| 7 | Stockton | $90,040 | 60 | |
| 8 | Visalia | $89,050 | 60 | |
| 9 | Sacramento | $88,010 | 110 | |
| 10 | San Diego | $85,930 | 80 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in California run 10.7% above the national average, so the median of $93,950 buys what $84,869 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 4.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$93,950as reported by BLSLocal price level
110.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$84,869US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $93,950 a year, 5.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $60,060 to $140,810 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,210 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 13th of 39 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is San Jose, at $110,810.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Scientists and Technologists in California?
The median annual wage is $93,950, or $45.17 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 $88,720, so pay in California is 5.9% higher. 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 California earns more than $140,810 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $60,060 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.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in San Jose, at $110,810 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,210 jobs in this occupation in California. 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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