SOC 19-1012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Food Scientists and Technologists — Madison
Madison, WI · 1 metro areas compared
At $66,080, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Food Scientists and Technologists, 25.5% beneath the national figure 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 Madison, WI.
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
At $66,080, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Food Scientists and Technologists, 25.5% beneath the national figure of $88,720. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $60,490 and $94,510. The lowest tenth earn under $52,180, while the highest tenth earn more than $121,520.
Employment stands at 40, or 0.1 jobs per thousand held locally. Milwaukee leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $86,230. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 236th of 534 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $52,180 | −41.2% |
| 25th | $60,490 | −31.8% |
| Median (50th) | $66,080 | −25.5% |
| 75th | $94,510 | +6.5% |
| 90th | $121,520 | +37.0% |
| Mean | $78,900 | −11.1% |
Other metro areas in Wisconsin
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee | $86,230 | 90 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Madison run 2.7% below the national average, so the median of $66,080 goes as far as $67,914 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 23.5% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$66,080as reported by BLSLocal price level
97.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$67,914US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $66,080 a year, 25.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $52,180 to $121,520 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 40 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Milwaukee, at $86,230.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Food Scientists and Technologists in Madison, WI?
The median annual wage is $66,080, or $31.77 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 Madison, WI is 25.5% 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 Madison, WI earns more than $121,520 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $52,180 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 Milwaukee, at $86,230 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 40 jobs in this occupation in Madison, WI. 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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