IFT Report: Food Science Starting Salaries Rise as Workforce Challenges Persist

CHICAGO — The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) released the 2026 Compensation and Career Path Report, which examines career trends in food science including compensation, job satisfaction and workplace challenges.

The report is based on more than 5,000 survey responses from the global food science community, with the first IFT compensation survey dating back to 1966. The latest survey includes data on compensation and career trends across various job titles and functions in the food industry, academia, government and nonprofits. It also covers salary breakdowns by geographic region, job function, gender, race and more.

Highlights include:

• The median starting salary for professionals with less than one year of experience jumped from $58,000 in 2019 to $76,000 in 2026.
• The impact of scientific misinformation ranked as the top professional concern, followed by the environmental impact of the food system.
• More than one-third of Millennial respondents shared they have considered leaving the food profession, the highest among all generational demographic groups.
• Although most respondents were not concerned about the impact of AI on their jobs, AI was most frequently cited as a top priority for skills development.

“This year’s Compensation and Career Path Report reflects an industry at a turning point,” said Bill McDowell, IFT vice president of content. “There is clear evidence of opportunity — many food science professionals are advancing in their careers and seeing competitive compensation. At the same time, persistent issues around workforce satisfaction, equity and shifting role expectations continue to shape the landscape.”

“The strength of this report is its grounding in data from more than 5,000 professionals across the global food system. It provides a clear, evidence-based view of where the industry stands and helps both individuals and organizations make more informed decisions about what comes next.”

Read the full report here.

IFT FIRST Session to Explore Report Further.

At IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo, IFT Director of Content and Creative Services Mary Ellen Kuhn will dive deeper into the report and the state of food science careers when she moderates a Hot Topics Community Conversation, “The Evolving Food Science Career Path,” on Tuesday, July 14, from 2:30-3:15 p.m. CT.

Panelists include:

• Aria Morill, R&D scientist, PepsiCo
• Kamesh Ellajosyula, chief innovation and quality officer, ofi
• Marie Kozlowski, founder, Wise Words LLC; key account manager, Givaudan