Certified Food Scientists earn $20K more than non-certified peers

It’s official: Certified Food Scientists earn more than their non-certified counterparts - by as much as US$20,000 per year.

The recently released Employment & Salary survey from Food Technology magazine shows that food scientists with the Certified Food Scientist (CFS) certification from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) earn a median salary of US$101,000, compared with a median salary of US$81,048 for those without the CFS certification.

The CFS credential was launched in 2013 to recognise the applied scientific knowledge and skills of food scientists. Now, the CFS program has certified more than 1500 professionals in 866 organisations from 55 countries around the world.

All 18 of the 2013 Fortune 500 companies associated with food and beverage production have CFSs on staff.

“Over the past year, the program has shown remarkable global growth as well as an impressive list of credential holders and companies that have participated,” said International Food Science Certification Commission (IFSCC) Chair Kurt Buckman, CFS. “We are looking forward to continued growth in the future.”

In order to obtain the CFS certification, candidates must meet the eligibility requirements and sit an exam. The IFSCC oversees the testing, governance and policymaking of the CFS program.

For more information, visit www.ift.org/certification.aspx.