Annual Salary
£20,000 to £45,000
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Food scientists and food technologists develop food and drink products, making sure they are safe to consume.
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings; on shifts
There will be
2.4% more Food scientist jobs in 2027.
As a food scientist, you'll:
As a food technologist, you'll:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work at a research facility or in a laboratory.
You can get into this job through:
You'll usually need a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:
Employers may also accept other subjects like chemistry or nutrition.
If you have a degree in an unrelated subject, you could study a postgraduate course like food safety or food quality management.
Experience of working in a food science or food development environment, for example through an industrial placement, may improve your career prospects.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to do a food technologist advanced apprenticeship then move on to a food industry technical professional degree apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You could start as a food technician or lab assistant with a food manufacturer and study for further qualifications while you work.
You can find out more about becoming a food scientist from the Institute of Food Science and Technology.
You could work for a range of organisations involved in researching and developing new products, including:food manufacturers and supermarkets; government and university research establishments; local authorities
You could improve your career prospects by getting Registered Scientist (RSci) or Chartered Scientist (CSci) status through the Institute of Food Science and Technology.
With experience you could become a project leader or manage a department like research and development or quality control. You could also move into fields like chemical engineering, agricultural research, toxicology or nutrition science.
Food Scientists may be involved in researching more sustainable food products and production methods
There are several different routes you can take to get into working as a Food Scientist which you can explore further in the 'Routes into this job' section above.
Click here for an explanation of the different course and apprenticeship levels.
Click here to find a local provider
Click here to search for a local apprenticeship
Click here to search for other university courses
For more local employment opportunities see the 'Live job vacancies by region' section above.
You'll need: