DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 5,054 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 14,370 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Food Scientists and Technologists
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsSalary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hershey, PA | $100,000 | +58.7% | 11 | 1 |
| El Segundo, CA | $99,000 | +57.1% | 10 | 4 |
| St. Louis, MI | $94,144 | +49.4% | 10 | 7 |
| East Hanover, NJ | $91,118 | +44.6% | 18 | 3 |
| Plano, TX | $88,800 | +41% | 28 | 8 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $86,166 | +36.8% | 15 | 5 |
| San Francisco, CA | $84,500 | +34.1% | 20 | 8 |
| Bridgewater, NJ | $84,393 | +34% | 24 | 3 |
| Valhalla, NY | $84,000 | +33.3% | 14 | 3 |
| Barrington, IL | $83,900 | +33.2% | 36 | 5 |
| Seattle, WA | $83,853 | +33.1% | 38 | 14 |
| Kalamazoo, MI | $83,500 | +32.5% | 10 | 1 |
| Evansville, IN | $82,467 | +30.9% | 12 | 2 |
| Pleasanton, CA | $81,349 | +29.1% | 10 | 2 |
| Glenview, IL | $81,289 | +29% | 14 | 4 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $80,143 | +27.2% | 21 | 7 |
| DES MOINES, IA | $80,142 | +27.2% | 21 | 3 |
| San Diego, CA | $80,000 | +27% | 15 | 8 |
| Battle Creek, MI | $79,750 | +26.6% | 64 | 4 |
| Modesto, CA | $78,000 | +23.8% | 19 | 5 |
| Fremont, MI | $77,675 | +23.3% | 14 | 3 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $77,522 | +23.1% | 25 | 3 |
| Woodland, CA | $77,175 | +22.5% | 10 | 3 |
| Solon, OH | $75,000 | +19% | 13 | 4 |
| Buffalo, NY | $74,283 | +17.9% | 19 | 5 |
| Camden, NJ | $74,000 | +17.5% | 11 | 2 |
| Redwood City, CA | $71,989 | +14.3% | 19 | 3 |
| Denver, CO | $71,760 | +13.9% | 47 | 8 |
| Emeryville, CA | $71,500 | +13.5% | 10 | 6 |
| Atlanta, GA | $71,000 | +12.7% | 12 | 7 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | $75,175 | -13.3% | 172 |
| Ohio | $73,315 | +17.4% | 102 |
| Minnesota | $71,552 | -24.2% | 75 |
| Colorado | $71,535 | -17.2% | 84 |
| Indiana | $71,500 | -11.8% | 37 |
| Utah | $71,185 | +2.9% | 32 |
| Washington | $70,000 | -27.1% | 76 |
| Kansas | $68,511 | -20.4% | 26 |
| Tennessee | $68,411 | -14.2% | 13 |
| Massachusetts | $67,645 | -31.8% | 85 |
| Idaho | $65,380 | -3.7% | 52 |
| Illinois | $65,208 | -18.5% | 316 |
| District of Columbia | $65,000 | -36.6% | 5 |
| Vermont | $64,547 | N/A | 27 |
| Missouri | $63,955 | -37% | 39 |
| Wisconsin | $63,860 | -16.1% | 161 |
| Connecticut | $62,400 | N/A | 19 |
| Nebraska | $62,042 | -7.8% | 165 |
| California | $61,878 | -27.6% | 780 |
| Virginia | $60,600 | -26.2% | 35 |
| New York | $60,278 | -37% | 201 |
| Georgia | $60,000 | -13.1% | 55 |
| New Jersey | $60,000 | -41.5% | 274 |
| Oklahoma | $59,592 | N/A | 15 |
| Rhode Island | $59,345 | N/A | 4 |
| New Mexico | $59,327 | N/A | 6 |
| Maine | $58,791 | N/A | 6 |
| Arkansas | $58,000 | -37.3% | 29 |
| North Carolina | $57,803 | -10% | 47 |
| Louisiana | $57,750 | +1% | 7 |
| Iowa | $57,366 | -9.6% | 64 |
| Oregon | $57,064 | -26.5% | 31 |
| Delaware | $57,000 | N/A | 8 |
| Texas | $56,992 | -38.6% | 110 |
| New Hampshire | $56,281 | -28.8% | 6 |
| Alaska | $55,000 | N/A | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | $53,000 | -35.7% | 91 |
| Florida | $51,000 | -45% | 89 |
| Kentucky | $50,898 | -29.6% | 13 |
| Maryland | $50,024 | -36.9% | 51 |
| Mississippi | $50,000 | -37.1% | 15 |
| North Dakota | $50,000 | N/A | 11 |
| South Carolina | $50,000 | -29.8% | 18 |
| Arizona | $50,000 | N/A | 13 |
| Hawaii | $49,088 | N/A | 7 |
| South Dakota | $45,000 | -34.1% | 23 |
| Alabama | $40,768 | -58.9% | 7 |
| Nevada | $36,670 | N/A | 5 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Food Scientists and Technologists positions, 51% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 38% required a Master's degree, and 2% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Kerry Inc. | Bachelor's | $68,465 |
| Kellogg North America Company | Master's | $80,000 |
| Novitium Pharma LLC | Not specified | $46,000 |
| PepsiCo, Inc. | Bachelor's | $90,000 |
| Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Inc. | Bachelor's | $45,000 |
| David Oppenheimer & Company I, LLC | Bachelor's | $48,000 |
| General Mills, Inc. | Doctorate | $78,900 |
| Leprino Foods Company | Master's | $74,545 |
| Saputo Cheese USA Inc. | Master's | $68,000 |
| QTG DEVELOPMENT INC. | Master's | $85,500 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Food Scientists and Technologists is Manufacturing at $71,215. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Educational Services at $54,009.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 5,054 DOL filings, the median salary for a Food Scientists and Technologists is $63,000, ranging from $50,000 to $80,000.
The 90th percentile salary is $141,860 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Hershey, PA offers the highest median at $100,000.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Food Scientists and Technologists positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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