Food Science and Technology: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 01.10. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 327 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 76 | 313 | $49,982 | $52,207 | $21,500 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 55 | 112 | $41,934 | $50,271 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 78 | 1,124 | $55,086 | $70,873 | $19,500 11 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 61 | 522 | $71,760 | $88,332 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 36 | 177 | $100,515 | $107,003 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 18 | 21 | $53,659 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Louis University MO · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $64,362 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Kentucky KY · Public · 40 graduates measured | $49,465 | $69,286 | $21,500 |
| Dakota County Technical College MN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $45,494 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $69,120 | $75,060 | $12,000 |
| Kansas State University KS · Public · 26 graduates measured | $68,015 | $78,367 | $25,000 |
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $66,519 | $84,147 | Data unavailable |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 35 graduates measured | $60,006 | $70,380 | $28,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $59,787 | $83,112 | $21,430 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 16 graduates measured | $59,250 | $72,782 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 28 graduates measured | $58,376 | $80,979 | $19,500 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 24 graduates measured | $57,824 | $85,445 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Fresno CA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $57,578 | $64,225 | Data unavailable |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 50 graduates measured | $56,486 | $66,226 | $17,875 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 68 graduates measured | $54,906 | $75,466 | $12,666 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $54,580 | $75,601 | Data unavailable |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 20 graduates measured | $54,092 | $70,705 | Data unavailable |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins CO · Public · 19 graduates measured | $53,793 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 58 graduates measured | $53,279 | $70,571 | $8,300 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 49 graduates measured | $94,811 | $106,264 | Data unavailable |
| Kansas State University KS · Public · 28 graduates measured | $93,675 | $105,978 | Data unavailable |
| Chapman University CA · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $81,538 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $62,805 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Iowa State University IA · Public · 96 graduates measured | $58,971 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University IA · Public · 41 graduates measured | $53,521 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Food Science and Technology
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | $89,900 | -3.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food scientists and technologists | $88,720 | +6.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Soil and plant scientists | $78,850 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Food science technicians | $52,130 | +4.8% | Associate's degree |
| Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary | $98,700 | +2.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers | $59,320 | +3.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food batchmakers | $42,290 | +6.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders | $51,610 | -5.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (6)
- 01.1001 Food Science
- 01.1002 Food Technology and Processing
- 01.1003 Brewing Science
- 01.1004 Viticulture and Enology
- 01.1005 Zymology/Fermentation Science
- 01.1099 Food Science and Technology, Other