5 careers for people who love food

Do you love all things food? Wish you could work with and around food as a career? Here are five  ideas to consider.

Check out the job outlook and average salary range for each career, and then click on any career name to view a complete Occupation Profile with more details.

Chef or head cook

This may seem like an obvious dream career choice for a food lover, and it’s not unattainable. Did you know that, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s data, most people landing a job as a head cook have five or more years of experience working in a restaurant but do not have a college degree?

Job outlook: New job opportunities are very likely in the future.

Average salary range: $33,950 – $61,870

Food scientist

Ever heard of a food scientist or technologist? They’re the people who study food—they use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to learn how to produce the best food, understand food nutritional content, discover new food sources, and figure out the best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.

Job outlook: New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Average salary range: $49,390- $88,100

Dietician or nutritionist

If you love science and the health care field as much as you love food, you might be interested in working as a nutritionist or dietician in a hospital, school, research, or other setting. You can earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nutrition or a related field to get started in this fast-growing career.

Job outlook: New job opportunities are very likely in the future.

Average salary range: $47,720 – $72,490

Food journalist or restaurant critic

There’s no U.S. Department of Labor information specifically for food journalists, but food writers are a niche slice of the larger Reporters and Correspondents occupation. And while the outlook for general reporters is not so strong, demand for food writers remains high at magazines, websites, and some newspapers. Note that the below information applies to Reporters and Correspondents as a whole—food writers may command higher salaries and be more in demand.

Job outlook overall for Reporters and Correspondents occupation: New job opportunities are less likely in the future,

Average salary range for Reporters and Correspondents occupation: $28,930 – $62,500

Food marketing strategist

Food marketing is a slice of the larger Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist occupation. Marketing specialists research market conditions in local, regional, or national areas, or gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or create a marketing campaign. Food marketers carry out the same tasks, but they specialize in grocery or restaurant markets.

Job outlook overall for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists: New job opportunities are very likely in the future

Average salary range for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists: $46,460 – $89,200

 

 

 

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