Salary Slowdown

After surging by nearly 16% in the 2022 IFT Compensation and Career Path Report research, salaries have dipped slightly, according to a new IFT study. In the 2024 research report (surveys were conducted in late 2023), median compensation for U.S. science of food professionals was $107,300, down 2.5% from 2022’s $110,000 median.

With nationwide unemployment below 4%, the job market is still strong. For many science of food positions, however, salary growth has stabilized since the red-hot period following the COVID-19 pandemic when employers struggled to fill positions, according to recruiters who spoke with Food Technology. Another likely contributor to the salary downturn is the fact that in the 2024 report, survey respondents had fewer years of professional food-related work experience—an average of 16.2 years in the most recent survey versus 19.2 years in 2022.

*Total median compensation does not equal the sum of median salary, bonus, and stocks because not all survey respondents have earnings in all categories.

The demographics of the workforce are changing as baby boomers head into retirement, more members of Gen Z enter the workplace, and millennials, followed by Gen X, dominate. Nearly half (48%) of the survey participants in the 2024 IFT Compensation and Career Path Report were millennials, who range in age from 27 to 42 years old. Just over a quarter (26%) were members of Gen X, aged 43 to 58. At 13%, baby boomers (59 years of age and older) slightly edged out the 12% of Gen Z respondents (aged 26 and younger).

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The science of food salary cooldown aligns with broader national trends. “Survey data is showing a tempering of pay increases,” says Kathryn O’Connor, director of compensation services for HR Source, a nonprofit group. “While we are still seeing an upward trend, employee pay increases are not as high as they were 12–24 months ago,” she adds.

Salaries shot up after the pandemic, and now they’ve started to plateau, agrees Mike Pendergast, an account manager who specializes in food science positions at staffing services provider Actalent.

Many employers are keeping a careful eye on the bottom line, says Laurie Hyllberg, a vice president with food and beverage recruiting firm Kinsa Group. According to Kinsa’s own compensation research, most food science salaries have been flat since 2022.

“Compared to two years ago, the salaries we’re seeing are consistent,” says Sheri Baker, president and CEO of HHI Search, a firm that specializes in the technical sector of the food and consumer products industry. “I would not say we’ve seen a decline, but we’ve not seen a significant increase either.”

During the COVID and post-COVID period, “candidates had all the power,” reflects Joel Oliver, a partner with food industry executive search firm OSI. “They could ask for whatever they wanted, and they got it.”

But last year, Oliver continues, “I think there was this slowdown of employers who didn’t have the money or didn’t want to spend the money.” Candidates, meanwhile, still had high expectations for salaries and benefits, he says. “And so there was a stalemate, if you will, of it was hard to hire because candidates and hiring companies were not necessarily in alignment.”

That peaked around last summer, according to Oliver, and compensation expectations have moderated since then. “Candidates have come to a realization that salaries aren’t that high anymore,” he says.

For a breakdown of salaries by primary job function, see the “Median Salaries By Job Function” below.

Talking About Money

This year, for the first time, IFT’s compensation research analyzed data using a generational lens, and that analysis revealed some striking differences in perspectives on sharing salary information.

The majority (58%) of survey respondents support salary transparency (i.e., would be comfortable if their organization made all salary information publicly available). But while 82% of Gen Zers and 71% of millennials said they favored salary transparency, just 37% of Gen X and baby boomers shared that opinion.

Baby boomers play it close to the vest when it comes to compensation. One-third (33%) of boomers said they don’t share their salary information with anyone in contrast with just 2% of Gen Z respondents who keep it confidential.

Cultural norms help explain it, according to workplace expert and coach Diane Rosen, president of dr-squared Consultants. “Older generations grew up at a time where it was considered inappropriate or impolite to discuss money, and organizational culture promoted and validated those beliefs. In some organizations, employees were actually told not to discuss salary or bonuses with their coworkers,” Rosen says.

Based on the IFT survey, professionals in education have the highest comfort level with salary transparency at 80%, followed by those employed in government at 73%, industry at 55%, and nonprofit employers at 54%.

Evolving perspectives on salary transparency, coupled with laws in more than 20 states that prohibit potential employers from asking about salary history, are changing the conversation around compensation. “There’s an equalization or a standardization in the market because of those two things,” Baker says.

“Candidates know their market value now,” she continues, noting that salary ranges are included in roughly half of the job postings she views on LinkedIn. “So, candidates are more educated on their value, and it’s not based on what their prior company was paying them.”

That’s particularly true for millennials and members of Gen Z, says Tim Elliott, president and COO of Mr. Moxey’s, a maker of cannabis mints that employs a multigenerational workforce. “Younger workers are entering negotiations armed with more information about industry standards, peer salaries, and the value of their skills,” Elliott says.

“This transparency leads to more informed discussions between employers and employees, with younger employees using these to set the foundation for negotiations based on market data rather than just individual bargaining power,” he continues.

William Rollins, QA manager at K’UL Chocolate, says he’s found that transparency helps create a positive work environment. “I think you almost see a negative impact from companies that don’t have that transparency,” Rollins reflects, noting that it can trigger doubts about fairness and reduce trust among employees.

Salary transparency goes hand-in-hand with pay equity, experts agree, helping to level the playing field for members of underrepresented groups who may earn less than their peers. It’s beneficial across the board, Baker says, noting that it can also help those who are making the leap from a small company to a larger one that has higher pay scales.

*Total does not equal 100% due to rounding

Charting Salary Gaps

Despite advances in salary equity, not all population segments are compensated equally, IFT’s research shows. Consistent with past surveys, male respondents outearned female respondents, and members of minority population segments earned less than the median.

According to the 2024 report data, women survey respondents earned a median of $100,000, the same as in the 2022 survey. That’s 6.8% less than the 2024 median of $107,300, an improvement over the 9.1% gap versus the median in 2022.

At a median of $122,000, men’s salaries were 13.7% over the median, close to the 14.5% figure in 2022.

In the 2024 report, the median salary for Black respondents was 8.9% less than the median, versus 8.6% less in 2022. For Asian respondents, the gap was 0.8% versus the median compared with 2.2% less in 2022. Hispanic/Latino respondents earned 6.8% less than the median, this year’s report shows; in 2022, salaries for Hispanic participants were equal to the median.

Given the preceding figures, it’s not surprising that nearly half (46%) of Black survey participants said they felt their opportunities for advancement and compensation were affected by their race/ethnicity and another 22% were unsure, leaving just under one-third (32%) to report not being negatively affected.

About one-fifth (21%) of Asian and Hispanic/Latino survey participants said they felt there had been a negative impact on opportunities and compensation, while 54% of Asian respondents and 64% of Hispanic/Latino respondents said they had not experienced a negative impact. One-third (33%) of women respondents reported a negative impact, 17% were unsure, and 51% said they had not been negatively affected.

Sought-After Skills

What skill sets are employers prioritizing in the current market environment? “Procurement, supply chain, and business knowledge are must haves,” says Kinsa’s Hyllberg. Without such skills, employees won’t be able to move up the career ladder, she emphasizes.

The ability to see the big picture is important, Hyllberg continues. For R&D roles, employers are looking for “individuals that understand the impact of their decisions on the bottom line. They need to have cross-functional interaction with production and purchasing and sales. They need a knowledge of the procurement process and the price point of the ingredients that they’re recommending or what can be substituted.”

Recruiter Baker zeroed in on transformational thinking skills. “Transformation or leading transformation is a skill set that is highly desirable right now because just about every company is going through some sort of change—it’s reacting to the economy or recovering from the pandemic, but there are changes in all aspects,” she reflects. “So that’s definitely a highly desired skill set we’re seeing.” It’s important even for employees who aren’t in leadership or managerial roles, she says, because they’ll likely be working and communicating cross functionally.

What employers don’t want are job hoppers, recruiters emphasize. It’s true that changing jobs every year or two has become more and more common, but most hiring professionals don’t look at it favorably, says Oliver. “They may be more understanding of it, but that’s not what they want,” he observes.

Moira McGrath, founder and president of food science recruitment firm OPUS International, agrees. “My clients are saying to me, don’t send me someone that’s had three jobs in five years. We don’t want to even see them,” she says.

Employment Outlook

The U.S. labor market remained resilient in 2023 despite sky-high inflation, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of recession, and overall job growth in the first three months of 2024 was strong, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor. Research from firms and associations including Mercer, Payscale, and WorldatWork forecast average compensation increases ranging from 3.5% to 4.1% for 2024.

Alicia Scott-Wears, content director at WorldatWork, an association for human resources professionals, notes that although average wage increases have declined from the immediate post-pandemic era as turnover slows globally and inflation eases slightly, compensation growth is still better than it was before the pandemic. Throughout the decade starting in 2010, average increases hovered between 2.8% and 3.2%, she says.

The market for food science jobs tends to be stable, even somewhat “recession proof” given the necessity of feeding consumers in good times and bad, recruiters point out.

“We’re starting to see inflation slow, so I’m hoping that we’re starting to see the economy get better,” says Baker. “That always translates into companies doing better, [and that] translates ultimately into hiring. We’re on the front edge of that, but that’s what gives me hope that we’re turning a corner, and the market will get better.”

“It’s not a ‘name your price’ [market] anymore by any means,” according to Oliver, but salaries are still higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The market feels quite balanced to me at the moment in that people are hiring, and people are looking, but there’s not an excess in either direction,” Oliver adds.

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Doing the Side Hustle

Slightly more than one in 10 respondents to the IFT salary survey (12%) reported having a second job. The median earnings from a second job were $8,000. The breakout of those who reported secondary employment includes 19% of baby boomers, 14% of Generation X, and 9% of millennials and Gen Z.

Among those who have a second job, consulting is the most common form of employment, reported by 45%, followed by teaching at 15%, and research at 10%. Just over one-fifth (22%) report another kind of work, ranging from catering to real estate. The average amount of time devoted to a second job is 21 hours a month, respondents said.

Earning extra income was the top reason for secondary employment, noted by 58% of those who had a second job, followed by a desire to help people at 43%, and pursuing a passion at 32% (respondents could select multiple reasons). Rounding out the list of top five reasons were learning new skills and making professional networking connections, both indicated by 26%.

Ray Mossman, lab manager at Admix, a maker of mixing equipment, has had a variety of side gigs since graduating from Johnson & Wales University with a BS in culinary nutrition, and he capitalized on those secondary revenue streams to help pay off his college loans. Currently, he’s tapping into the communication skills he developed both as a student and on the job to earn extra income as a freelance writer of documentation, product specifications, and other forms of technical communication.

For William Rollins of K’UL Chocolate, creating pottery and doing metalworking and woodworking have been both a creative outlet and a source of secondary income. “I’m very heavily regulatory and science-minded in my current position—or business-minded—and sometimes I just want to do something artsy,” Rollins says.

Christy Kadharmestan, principal research scientist—women’s health, global, at Amway, has been co-teaching a class on regulation of food and dietary supplements at the University of Southern California for many years. This year she will take over as lead instructor. It’s not always easy carving out the time, but it’s a passion project because it allows her to mentor others in the profession.

“It’s something I look forward to every time because I always learn from these professional students,” Kadharmestan says. “They keep me on my toes!”

According to the majority (54%) of respondents with a second job, their long-term goal is to continue supplementing income from their primary job. Just 17% said they plan to eventually replace their primary employment, 17% weren’t sure, and 12% reported planning to discontinue their side hustles at some point.

Most of those working a second job (62%) said they didn’t face any barriers getting started. Among those who did note barriers, those most frequently cited were not knowing how to get started (17%), lacking confidence in their abilities (14%), worrying about wasting their time (11%), and fearing failure (8%).

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Workplace Priorities Vary by Generation

What employees most prioritize in their work lives varies along generational lines, the 2024 IFT Compensation and Career Path Report research shows.

Work/life balance came in third on the list of top factors contributing to job satisfaction for both Gen Z and millennials in the survey, but it wasn’t in the top five for baby boomers and was tied with intellectual stimulation at number four for Gen X.

Recruiter Moira McGrath, founder and president of OPUS International, says she finds that younger candidates place more emphasis than older job seekers on finding a job that will ensure work/life balance. “Someone in their late 40s, 50s, 60s—they’re not talking about that,” she notes.

Sheri Baker, president and CEO of HHI Search, theorizes that a focus on work/life balance may be related to the fact that younger adults prioritize mental health, and part of that comes from achieving life balance and avoiding burnout.

“So, I think there’s a little bit of that social acceptance that it’s okay to take time out for yourself that’s making it more of a priority among the younger generations,” Baker says. “When I was young in my career, we never talked about mental health. We never talked about recharging our batteries, taking time out for ourselves. It was a badge of honor to work in a plant for 15 hours straight. And that’s not the case anymore. Now there’s more people championing, ‘take care of yourself.’ So, I think maybe that is having an impact on work/life balance.”

Bottom line, however, paychecks are the priority for many employees: Asked if they’d take a pay cut to achieve better work/life balance, exactly half (50%) of survey respondents answered no. Just 7% said definitely, 21% possibly, and 22% were unsure.

Culture Fit—It Counts

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers can make is taking a position with a company whose culture doesn’t align with their own abilities and attitudes, says Moira McGrath, president of food science executive search firm OPUS International. 

“What I think people are realizing more and more is how important culture fit is,” McGrath observes. “When you’re looking for a job, you have to look around at all the people that you’ll be interviewing with and meeting with and working with. Is this the team that you really could work with every day, eight hours a day, five days a week for years?

“When candidates call me and say they want to make a change, it’s usually because of the culture fit,” McGrath continues. “It’s not because they’re not promoted or they’re not challenged or there’s no opportunity for advancement. Sometimes that’s the case, but it’s mostly because they didn’t look carefully enough when they made that decision to take that job.”

To that end, she advises candidates to “take a couple extra days and talk to people. Call the boss that you could potentially be working with and ask the questions that you really want to have answered that you didn’t ask in the interview.

“I say that companies have personalities,” McGrath continues. “PepsiCo is an aggressive, dynamic company. It’s a wonderful company to work for, but if you’re not that personality, you’re going to be miserable. Nestlé is science, science, science. They’re very technical. [So is] Abbott. They’re great companies, but if you’re a Pepsi personality, you’re not going to fit.”

Company hiring professionals understand the importance of culture fit, she says. “I have companies say, ‘Don’t send me any candidates from X, Y, Z Company. They don’t work out for us.’”

The Process

Conducted by a private research firm, the survey that provides the insights in the 2024 IFT Compensation and Career Path Report was fielded in late 2023. Email surveys were sent to 35,899 U.S.–based professionals working in the science of food discipline. With 3,561 responses, the response rate was about 10%, and the overall results have a margin of error of less than 2%.ft