💡 Why it matters: A lot of food is lost before it is eaten, and food scientists help preserve, process and improve what we grow.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Nigeria loses a lot of food before it is eaten, and food scientists help preserve and process it.
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). (for agricultural and food scientists).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦1.5M – ₦3.5M
- Mid-career
- ₦3.5M – ₦8M
- Senior
- ₦8M – ₦18M
≈ ₦292k – ₦667k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Indicative mid-career range (our estimate, not yet checked against an official source). Incusim estimate
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Agricultural and food scientists (food scientists and technologists median). Median pay only. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Food technologist. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Develop new snacks, drinks and packaged foods
- Test food for safety and nutrition
- Find ways to keep food fresh longer
- Study how people like new products
- Make sure foods meet national food safety standards
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Creativity
- Chemistry knowledge
- Attention to detail
- Curiosity
- Teamwork
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Short courses in food safety and quality
- Industrial placement in a food factory
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Food technologist or lab apprenticeships
- Start in a food factory quality or product development team
🇺🇸 United States
- Internships in food companies
- Start as a food science technician or quality assistant
🇨🇦 Canada
- Co-op placements in food companies
- Food safety certificates such as HACCP are common
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Chemistry and Biology in school
- 2Take a degree in Food Science and Technology
- 3Do an industrial placement in a food factory
- 4Join a food company or research institute
- 5Specialise in product development or safety
⏰ A day in the life
You try a new recipe for a plantain chip that stays crunchy for six months. You taste test with colleagues, measure moisture levels and write down what to change for the next trial.