Food Scientists and Technologists Salary
Food Scientists and Technologists in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX make a median of $88,210 a year, or about $42.41 an hour. The range runs from $56K at the entry level to $131K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $89,435 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,573/month, or 26.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $88K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About food scientists and technologists
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Food scientists and technologists pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands tracks closely to the national median, $88K locally vs. $89K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for food scientists and technologists in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $94K | $91K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $95K | $97K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $98K | $104K |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $103K | $113K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level food scientists and technologists (10th percentile) start around $56K. Mid-career wages sit at $88K. Top earners bring in $131K or more, a $75K spread from bottom to top.
Food Scientists and Technologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Food Scientists and Technologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $109K | +22% | 90 |
| Missouri | $106K | +19% | 390 |
| New Jersey | $104K | +18% | 630 |
| Massachusetts | $104K | +17% | 420 |
| Florida | $101K | +14% | 170 |
| Colorado | $100K | +12% | 320 |
| Minnesota | $99K | +12% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $99K | +11% | 170 |
| Alabama | $97K | +10% | 60 |
| Washington | $95K | +7% | 250 |
| Illinois | $94K | +6% | 780 |
| New York | $94K | +6% | 660 |
| California | $94K | +6% | 2,210 |
| Virginia | $94K | +5% | 70 |
| Maryland | $93K | +5% | 270 |
| Texas | $91K | +2% | 840 |
| Arizona | $90K | +2% | N/A |
| Maine | $89K | +1% | 30 |
| Rhode Island | $88K | -1% | 40 |
| Georgia | $86K | -3% | 560 |
| Kansas | $85K | -4% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $85K | -4% | 50 |
| Arkansas | $84K | -5% | 310 |
| Pennsylvania | $83K | -6% | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $83K | -6% | 410 |
| Iowa | $82K | -8% | 380 |
| Tennessee | $82K | -8% | 70 |
| Oregon | $82K | -8% | 270 |
| Nevada | $81K | -9% | 50 |
| North Carolina | $80K | -10% | 230 |
| New Mexico | $79K | -11% | 30 |
| Idaho | $77K | -13% | 140 |
| Michigan | $77K | -13% | 430 |
| Ohio | $77K | -13% | 270 |
| Utah | $73K | -17% | 120 |
| Nebraska | $72K | -19% | 230 |
| South Dakota | $71K | -20% | 90 |
| Indiana | $69K | -22% | 300 |
| Montana | $52K | -41% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 39 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track food scientists and technologists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a food scientists and technologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Yes — at the median salary of $88K, rent takes 26.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for food scientists and technologists in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food scientists and technologists typically earn — is $56K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,360/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food scientists and technologist a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $88K locally vs. $89K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for food scientists and technologists?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $88K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $89K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food scientists and technologists make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $88,210 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $56,000, and experienced food scientists and technologists can clear $131,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $88K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,870/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 26.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a food scientists and technologists salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (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 scientists and technologists salary is worth about $89,435 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food scientists and technologists 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.