Food Science Technicians build complex problem solving, coordination and quality control analysis skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Food Scientists and Technologists (79%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Food Scientists and Technologists | 79% | $88,720 | +70% | Bachelor's degree |
| 2 | Agricultural Inspectors | 76% | $49,940 | −4% | None |
| 3 | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 73% | $48,570 | −7% | None |
| 4 | Chemists | 72% | $91,240 | +75% | Bachelor's degree |
| 5 | Quality Control Systems Managers | 71% | $126,060Pay for the broader BLS group “Industrial Production Managers” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 69% | $44,810 | −14% | None |
| 7 | Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 69% | $51,610 | −1% | None |
| 8 | Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping | 69% | $46,380 | −11% | None |
| 9 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 68% | $101,370 | +94% | None |
| 10 | Microbiologists | 67% | $87,990 | +69% | Bachelor's degree |
Compared with Food Science Technicians, median $52,130. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as food science technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
79% skill match · $88,720 · +70% pay
Systems Analysis · Operations Analysis · Systems Evaluation
76% skill match · $49,940 · −4% pay
Quality Control Analysis · Negotiation · Persuasion
73% skill match · $48,570 · −7% pay
Operation and Control · Quality Control Analysis · Operations Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Food Scientists and Technologists (79% skill match, median $88,720), Agricultural Inspectors (76% skill match, median $49,940) and Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers (73% skill match, median $48,570), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 12 pay more than food science technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (+136%, $122,890), Power Distributors and Dispatchers (+105%, $106,730) and Nuclear Medicine Technologists (+94%, $101,370).
21 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.