Community Sentiment
Do you agree?
Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?
AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Food Science Technicians?
Task-level automation exposure for Food Science Technicians: 16 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
37%
weighted task index
16 of 16 tasks scored
Median Salary
$52,130 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Low
14,600 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+4.8%
employment change
3,000 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 39 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$36,050 – $65,360
Highest medians
Virginia $65,360
Kentucky $64,770
Washington $62,070
Vermont $60,980
Illinois $60,820
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $36,050
South Carolina $39,480
Kansas $39,930
Alabama $40,940
Louisiana $44,310
State figures come from the 19-4013 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 37%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 15%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 43%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 14%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 23/100
Low
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
16 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 14%
2 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 43%
7 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 43%
7 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#7582 · Core · 45% automatable
Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics.
visual inspection — Material quality often needs hands-on or visual inspection
Evaluate quality of materials or products.
#7585 · Core · 28% automatable
Measure, test, or weigh bottles, cans, or other containers to ensure that hardness, strength, or dimensions meet specifications.
visual inspection — Quality testing of materials is hands-on inspection
Test quality of materials or finished products.
#20394 · Core · 82% automatable
Maintain records of testing results or other documents as required by state or other governing agencies.
data analysis — Record research or operational data into schemas
Record research or operational data.
#20395 · Core · 30% automatable
Monitor and control temperature of products.
physical manipulation — Physical/chemical property testing by hand
Measure physical or chemical properties of materials or objects.
#7581 · Core · 35% automatable
Analyze test results to classify products or compare results with standard tables.
physical manipulation — Chemical analysis requires instruments and hands
Analyze chemical compounds or substances.
#7579 · Core · 82% automatable
Record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports.
data analysis — Record research or operational data into schemas
Record research or operational data.
#20396 · Core · 13% automatable
Perform regular maintenance of laboratory equipment by inspecting, calibrating, cleaning, or sterilizing.
physical manipulation — Hands-on lab/technical equipment upkeep
Clean objects. Maintain laboratory or technical equipment.
#7583 · Core · 35% automatable
Examine chemical or biological samples to identify cell structures or to locate bacteria or extraneous material, using a microscope.
physical manipulation — Examining live organisms needs hands-on lab work
Examine characteristics or behavior of living organisms. Analyze chemical compounds or substances.
#7576 · Core · 28% automatable
Conduct standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, or preservatives to ensure compliance with standards and regulations regarding factors such as color, texture, or nutrients.
visual inspection — Quality testing of materials is hands-on inspection
Test quality of materials or finished products.
#20397 · Core · 40% automatable
Train newly hired laboratory personnel.
interpersonal — Technical procedure training needs live demonstration and correction
Train personnel in technical or scientific procedures.
#7577 · Core · 38% automatable
Provide assistance to food scientists or technologists in research and development, production technology, or quality control.
data analysis — Formulation analysis aided; bench trials human
Research methods to improve food products.
#22261 · Core · 28% automatable
Supervise other food science technicians.
interpersonal — Oversight of lab work needs human accountability and presence
Supervise laboratory work.
#7578 · Core · 35% automatable
Compute moisture or salt content, percentages of ingredients, formulas, or other product factors, using mathematical and chemical procedures.
physical manipulation — Chemical analysis requires instruments and hands
Analyze chemical compounds or substances.
#7587 · Core · 40% automatable
Order supplies needed to maintain inventories in laboratories or in storage facilities of food or beverage processing plants.
decision support — Resource management aided by AI but human accountable
Manage scientific or technical project resources.
#20398 · Supplemental · 8% automatable
Prepare or incubate slides with cell cultures.
physical manipulation — Hands-on sample preparation
Prepare biological samples for testing or analysis.
#7584 · Supplemental · 8% automatable
Mix, blend, or cultivate ingredients to make reagents or to manufacture food or beverage products.
physical manipulation — Physical solution preparation
Prepare compounds or solutions for products or testing.
Embed this calculator on your site ↓
Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.
<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="food-science-technicians"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script> Method
How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
See the full method →Related Article
Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market
Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.
Read Article ->