Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The median salary for Food Science Technicians in California is $54,205 per year ($26.06/hr). This is 4% higher than the national median of $52,125.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Wage Percentiles: California
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$19.61
$40,789
+2.5%
P25
$22.64
$47,091
+2.4%
P50MEDIAN
$26.06
$54,205
+4.0%
P75
$30.82
$64,106
+1.3%
P90Top earners
$36.70
$76,336
-3.1%
Get the full percentile report
P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Food Science Technicians
Free. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.8%
Faster than average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
20K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Dairy Product Manufacturing
NAICS 311500
2K
$55,380
Other Food Manufacturing
NAICS 311900
2K
$54,480
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
No credit card required · 770+ occupations · 393 metros
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median food science technicians salary in California?
The median (P50) annual salary for Food Science Technicians in California is approximately $54,205, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 4% higher than the national median of $52,125. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.