Work Environment

Agricultural and food scientists held about 37,400 jobs in 2020. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up agricultural and food scientists was distributed as follows:

1. Soil and plant scientists - 18,800
2. Food scientists and technologists - 15,000
3. Animal scientists - 3,500

The largest employers of agricultural and food scientists were as follows:

• Food manufacturing - 20%
• Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private - 11%
• Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences - 10%
• Government - 9%
• Management, scientific, and technical consulting services - 7%

Agricultural and food scientists work in laboratories, in offices, and in the field. They spend most of their time studying data and reports in a laboratory or an office. Fieldwork includes visits to farms or processing plants.

When visiting a food or animal production facility, agricultural and food scientists must follow biosecurity measures, wear suitable clothing, and tolerate the environment associated with food production processes. This environment may include noise associated with large production machinery, cold temperatures associated with food production or storage, and close proximity to animal byproducts.

Certain positions may require travel, either domestic, international, or both. The amount of travel can vary widely.

Work Schedules

Agricultural and food scientists typically work full time.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of agricultural and food scientists is projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 4,400 openings for agricultural and food scientists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Employment of agricultural and food scientists is projected to grow as research into agricultural production methods and techniques continues. Challenges such as population growth, increased demand for water resources, combating pests and pathogens, changes in climate and weather patterns, and additional demand for agriculture products, such as biofuels, will continue to create demand for research in agricultural efficiency and sustainability.

Animal scientists will be needed to investigate and improve the diets, living conditions, and even genetic makeup of livestock. Food scientists and technologists will work to improve food-processing techniques, ensuring that products are safe, waste is limited, and food is shipped efficiently and safely. Soil and plant scientists will continue to try to understand and map soil composition. They will investigate ways to improve soils, to find uses for byproducts, and selectively breed crops to resist pests and disease, or improve taste.

Earnings

The median annual wage for agricultural and food scientists was $74,160 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,160, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $128,160.

Median annual wages for agricultural and food scientists in May 2021 were as follows:

• Food scientists and technologists - $78,340
• Soil and plant scientists - $66,750
• Animal scientists - $65,090

In May 2021, the median annual wages for agricultural and food scientists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

• Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences - $86,330
• Food manufacturing - $77,490
• Government - $73,260
• Management, scientific, and technical consulting services - $63,940
• Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private - $56,130

Agricultural and food scientists typically work full time.