Occupation

Food Scientists and Technologists

SOC 19-1012Standard Occupational Classification

Employers submitted 6,621 certified H-1B applications for Food Scientists and Technologists (19-1012) roles, requesting 7,306 workers. The average offered wage is $74,967/yr, 16% below the BLS national median ($88,720/yr). (2025, SOC 19-1012) The largest filers are Kerry Inc., David Oppenheimer & Company I, LLC and Kellogg North America Company LLC.

Source import recorded Sep 2, 2026

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) · Bulk disclosure files downloaded quarterly from DOL · Source import recorded Sep 2, 2026

Methodology

What the records contain / DOL LCA disclosures

6.6KCertified filings6,621 LCA records7.3KWorkers requestedRequests on filings, not confirmed hires2KEmployers filing2,038 distinct · see ranking

What XH1B calculates / Wage comparisons

$75KAvg offered wageMean of offers · annual$88.7KBLS medianOES national median · U.S. · 2025 · SOC 19-1012-16%Offered vs BLS benchmarkBelow the benchmark
+19% Offered vs prevailingThe attested floor, employer-reported6,480 Annualized offers in the distributionOther wage units sit outside it
How to read these figures

Offered and prevailing wages are employer-reported on each DOL filing, annualized to year rates. The average mixes experience levels, localities, and years.

The benchmark is the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics national median for this occupation, latest available year. An average set against a median: a few very high offers pull the average up.

A certified filing is an approved application, not a confirmed hire. These comparisons are screening measures, not wage-law findings.

Data sources & methodology ↗

Signed gaps: a negative % sits below the benchmark; a positive % sits above.

Wage evidence

What filings for this occupation offer against the BLS benchmark.

Offered wage vs BLS median by year

Median offered wage moved from $41,375 in 2009 to $93,134 in 2026 (year in progress). The dashed line is the BLS national median for the occupation.

$0K$10K$20K$30K$40K$50K$60K$70K$80K$90KGreat recession: Employ American Workers Act (TARP recipients restricted): https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/1Great recession: Employ Ame…Infosys pays record $34M visa-fraud settlement (ICE/DOJ): https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/indian-corporation-pays-record-34-million-fine-settle-allegations-systemic-visa-fraudInfosys pays record $34M vi…$4,000 H-1B "9/11 fee" on 50+ / >50% H-1B employers: https://www.uscis.gov/archive/new-law-increases-h-1b-and-l-1-petition-fees$4,000 H-1B "9/11 fee" on 5…Buy American, Hire American EO: https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-executive-order-buy-american-hire-american/Buy American, Hire American…USCIS suspends premium processing; site visits expand: https://www.uscis.gov/USCIS suspends premium proc…USCIS third-party worksite memo: denials spike: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/policymanual/updates/20180222.pdfUSCIS third-party worksite …June 2020 H-1B entry ban + Oct 2020 DOL prevailing-wage IFR: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/10/08/2020-22381/requirements-including-labor-certification-programs-for-permanent-employment-in-the-united-statesJune 2020 H-1B entry ban + …Biden revokes entry ban; denials normalize: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/05/2021-02469/revocation-of-presidential-proclamations-10014-and-10149Biden revokes entry ban; de…Trump introduces $100,000 payment for certain new H-1B petitions (Sept. 21): https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restriction-on-entry-of-certain-nonimmigrant-workers/Trump introduces $100,000 p…Trump extends the $100,000 H-1B payment requirement through Sept. 21, 2027: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/restriction-on-entry-of-certain-nonimmigrant-workers-faad/Trump extends the $100,000 …2009: $41,375/yr median offer (6 filings)2010: $55,570/yr median offer (93 filings)2011: $55,000/yr median offer (453 filings)2012: $62,931/yr median offer (382 filings)2013: $62,000/yr median offer (328 filings)2014: $57,637/yr median offer (410 filings)2015: $65,000/yr median offer (416 filings)2016: $63,794/yr median offer (443 filings)2017: $65,011/yr median offer (472 filings)2018: $63,361/yr median offer (528 filings)2019: $70,000/yr median offer (538 filings)2020: $74,690/yr median offer (404 filings)2021: $75,055/yr median offer (454 filings)2022: $85,800/yr median offer (419 filings)2023: $87,942/yr median offer (332 filings)2024: $87,468/yr median offer (356 filings)2025: $90,122/yr median offer (414 filings)2026: $93,134/yr median offer (62 filings)2009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520262011: $58,340/yr BLS median2012: $58,070/yr BLS median2013: $59,630/yr BLS median2014: $61,480/yr BLS median2015: $65,840/yr BLS median2016: $63,950/yr BLS median2017: $63,660/yr BLS median2018: $65,300/yr BLS median2019: $68,970/yr BLS median2020: $73,450/yr BLS median2021: $78,340/yr BLS median2022: $79,860/yr BLS median2023: $82,090/yr BLS median2024: $85,310/yr BLS median2025: $88,720/yr BLS medianmedian wage
median wageBLS median

Offered-wage distribution

0194388581775$41K$48K$55K$63K$70K$77K$84K$91K$98K$106K$113K$120Kannual wagefilings

Offered-wage percentiles (n=6,480)

$40,622$59,385$78,149$96,913$115,676$70,000annual wage
Individual filings on the wage axis· 150 sampled since 2023

Each dot is one recent H-1B filing for Food Scientists and Technologists, positioned by offered wage and colored by outcome: gold certified, red denied, gray withdrawn. Hover a dot for the filing detail. This is a stable sample, not the full population; the tables above cover every annualized filing.

$37,565$90,674$143,783$196,891$250,000annual wage
Context & calculation noteswage definitions and benchmark scope

Offered and prevailing wages are employer-reported on each DOL filing, annualized to year rates. The average mixes experience levels, localities, and years.

The benchmark is the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics national median for this occupation (U.S.), latest available year. The average is set against a median, so a few very high offers pull the average up.

The distribution and percentiles cover annualized offers only; filings with hourly or other wage units sit outside them.

A certified filing is an approved labor condition application, not a confirmed hire. The comparisons on this page are screening measures, not wage-law findings.

Data sources & methodology ↗

Employers & filings

Who files, and the certified records behind every figure on this page. Filing wage badges use the latest national BLS median. Their detail shows the benchmark code and year. A mapped comparator can use a different occupation from the direct-code profile benchmark above. It is a screening comparison, not a claim that the occupations are identical.

Top employers (2,038)

EmployerFilings
1

Kerry Inc.

$77.1K avg-13% BLS

162
2

David Oppenheimer & Company I, LLC

$53.1K avg-40% BLS

109
3

Kellogg North America Company LLC

$81.9K avg-8% BLS

93
4

General Mills, Inc.

$80.2K avg-10% BLS

80
5

Novitium Pharma LLC. ⚠ Dep

$47.5K avg-46% BLS

77
6

PepsiCo, Inc.

$91.4K avg+3% BLS

70
7

Impossible Foods Inc.

$90.8K avg+2% BLS

64
8

Nestle R&D CENTER, Inc.

$79K avg-11% BLS

54

LCA filings (6,621)

Title · Worksite
Open LCA I-200-26083-726175

Quad Packaging, Inc.(1 position requested)

Associate Research Director · Greenville 29601 · 2026-03-31

Certified$69,800
Open LCA I-200-26082-722692

Unviersal Protein Supplements Corp.(1 position requested)

Research and Development Manager · New Brunswick 08901 · 2026-03-30

Certified$125,000
Open LCA I-200-26070-695885

The Pennsylvania State University(1 position requested)

Assistant Research Professor · University Park 16802 · 2026-03-27

Certified - Withdrawn$73,704
Open LCA I-200-26079-717728

Clemens Food Group(1 position requested)

Food Quality Engineer · Hatfield 19440 · 2026-03-27

Certified$93,000
Open LCA I-200-26079-719147

ASN Foods LLC(1 position requested)

Food Developer/ Scientist · Coral Springs 33076 · 2026-03-27

Certified$48,277
Open LCA I-200-26077-711855

University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture(1 position requested)

Postdoctoral fellow · Fayetteville 72704 · 2026-03-25

Certified$50,294
Open LCA I-200-26076-709356

Chobani, LLC(1 position requested)

Research & Development Scientist II · North Brunswick Township 08902 · 2026-03-24

Certified$95,000
Open LCA I-200-26076-710458

Command Nutritionals, LLC(1 position requested)

Senior Quality Control Technologist/Superintendent · Fairfield 07004 · 2026-03-24

Certified$127,171

A negative % sits below the BLS market median; a positive % sits above.

Geography

Where filings for this occupation concentrate.

State filing trends (50)

One line per state plus PR, 2015 to 2026. Hover a line or a state to single it out. The list picks which states render; a state name links to its page. The latest year may be a partial period.

States · 50/50 shown
00.20.40.60.812015201720192021202320252026filings / 100k residents

Per 100k residents divides a state's filings by the U.S. Census Bureau population estimate for that state and year (annual July estimates). Years after the latest published estimate carry that estimate forward.

FAQ

Questions about the data & methods

What is SOC code 19-1012?

19-1012 is the federal Standard Occupational Classification code for Food Scientists and Technologists. The government assigns every H-1B filing one of these codes, so filings can be studied by occupation.

How many H-1B filings are there for Food Scientists and Technologists?

6,621 H-1B labor condition applications name this occupation, requesting 7,306 workers, per Department of Labor disclosure records.

How much do Food Scientists and Technologists H-1B workers get paid?

The average wage offered on H-1B filings for this occupation is $74,967 per year. That is 16% below the BLS national median for the occupation ($88,720).

Which companies hire the most Food Scientists and Technologists workers on H-1B visas?

The largest filers on this page include Kerry Inc., David Oppenheimer & Company I, LLC and Kellogg North America Company LLC. The employer table ranks every employer in this occupation by filings and wage impact.

SOC code 19-1012 data sourced from DOL LCA disclosures and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics. About our sources →

Public source records and site analysis. We do not attest to accuracy. Read the full disclaimer.

Dataset guides and site methods

  1. [1] Dataset documentation · DOL OFLC. LCA public disclosure record layout (FY2026 Q3). Pages 1–4: application, DOL outcome and dates, requested positions, employer, representatives, worksites and pay unitsThis layout covers determinations issued October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. It documents employer-provided application fields and DOL decisions, not USCIS decisions, payroll verification, legal bills or worker-linked moves. Older layouts can differ.Checked 2026-10-17.
  2. [2] Dataset documentation · BLS. OEWS technical notes (May 2025). Scope of the survey; occupational coding; concepts and estimation methodologyDocuments occupation and geographic wage estimates, not an individual worker’s pay. Use the estimate year and geography stated by the site; older releases can differ.Checked 2026-10-17.
  3. [3] Guidance · BLS. Standard Occupational Classification. Classification Principles 1–2 and Coding Guideline 2; job duties, not job titlesChecked 2026-10-08.
  4. [4] XH1B method or registry · XH1B. Calculation and Matching Methods; Reading Public Records and Derived Indicators. Filing units, annualization, weighting, wage comparisons, and inference limits; Reading records: units, source coverage, wage gaps, entity links, and inference limitsThese are the site's review methods, not validated predictions of wrongdoing. Inspect underlying records and alternative explanations.