Food Science Technicians Salary
Food Science Technicians in Pennsylvania make a median of $48,060 a year, or about $23.11 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $50,605 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 40.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $48K actually covers in Pennsylvania, month by month
About food science technicians
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Food science technicians pay in Pennsylvania tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $52K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 41.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level food science technicians (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Food Science Technicians salary by metro in Pennsylvania
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $60K | +26% | 80 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $55K | +14% | 50 |
| Lancaster | $53K | +11% | 70 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $50K | +5% | 40 |
| Pittsburgh | $49K | +2% | 30 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $48K | +0% | 250 |
| York-Hanover | $45K | -7% | 40 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a food science technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 41.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for food science technicians in Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food science technicians typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,591/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 52% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food science technician a high-paying job in Pennsylvania?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $52K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for food science technicians?
Pennsylvania pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $52K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do food science technicians make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $48,060 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,590, and experienced food science technicians can clear $62,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,265/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 41.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a food science technicians salary go in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median food science technicians salary is worth about $50,605 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food science technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.