H-1B Hiring for Food Scientists and Technologists Shows Strong Upward Trend
Explore H-1B visa filings for Food Scientists and Technologists. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 96% |
| Average Salary | $97,768 |
| Salary Range | $45,760 - $219,960 |
| Top Sponsor | David Oppenheimer & Company I, LLC |
| Primary Location | California |
Food Scientists and Technologists is one of the H-1B visa categories with 82 filings and an average salary of $100,533. The demand for Food Scientists and Technologists on H-1B visas is significantly increasing, with a substantial jump in FY2025. California and New Jersey are the leading states for H-1B hires in this field. The number of H-1B petitions filed is considerably higher than the number of petitions approved, indicating a competitive landscape. The average salary for this role is slightly above the median salary, suggesting a good compensation potential.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 96% |
| Average Salary | $97,768 |
| Median Salary | $90,571 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $120,827 |
| Minimum Salary | $45,760 |
| Maximum Salary | $219,960 |
| 10th Percentile | $56,077 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,000 |
| Median (50th) | $90,571 |
| 75th Percentile | $120,827 |
| 90th Percentile | $150,000 |
| Average | $97,768 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Visa Class | Filings |
|---|---|
| H-1B | 77 |
| H-1B1 CHILE | 19 |
| E-3 AUSTRALIAN | 2 |
| H-1B1 SINGAPORE | 2 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| David Oppenheimer & Company I, LLC | 7 | $62k |
| LACTALIS CHEESE AND DAIRY HOLDING INC. | 4 | $101k |
| Divine Flavor, LLC | 3 | $47k |
| Soda Canyon Crush and Hospitality LLC | 3 | $73k |
| Roth Industries, LLC | 3 | $135k |
| The Fruitist Company | 2 | $75k |
| TheNotCompany, Inc. | 2 | $98k |
| International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. | 2 | $89k |
| NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | 2 | $62k |
| AJINOMOTO HEALTH & NUTRITION NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 2 | $130k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| California | 23 |
| New Jersey | 12 |
| Illinois | 7 |
| Minnesota | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 |
| Arizona | 5 |
| Washington | 5 |
| New York | 4 |
| Texas | 4 |
| Colorado | 4 |
Focus your H-1B job search on states like California and New Jersey, and highlight specialized skills in food science and technology to stand out in a competitive market.
The average H-1B salary for Food Scientists and Technologists is $100,533, with a median of $94,279. The 25th-75th percentile range is $75,000 to $120,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Food Scientists and Technologists include David Oppenheimer & Company I, LLC, LACTALIS CHEESE AND DAIRY HOLDING INC., Soda Canyon Crush and Hospitality LLC, Roth Industries, LLC, Impossible Foods Inc.. A total of 66 employers have filed for this role.
There are 82 H-1B filings on record for Food Scientists and Technologists positions. 95.1% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Food Scientists and Technologists positions are California (18), New Jersey (10), Minnesota (6), Illinois (5), Pennsylvania (5).
Yes, Food Scientists and Technologists is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 82 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Food Scientists and Technologists salaries range from $45,760 to $219,960. The median salary is $94,279.
The approval rate for Food Scientists and Technologists H-1B petitions is 95.1%. There's a notable surge in H-1B applications for FY2025, with 78 petitions filed.
California leads in H-1B employment for this role, accounting for 18% of the analyzed data.
Focus your H-1B job search on states like California and New Jersey, and highlight specialized skills in food science and technology to stand out in a competitive market.
New Jersey follows California with 10% of H-1B hires in this occupation.
The Food Scientists and Technologists occupation (SOC code 19-101200) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Food Scientists and Technologists positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Food Scientists and Technologists positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Food Scientists and Technologists positions show an average offered salary of $97,768, with a range from $45,760 at the entry level to $219,960 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in California (23 filings) and New Jersey (12 filings).
Career outlook for Food Scientists and Technologists professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Food Scientists and Technologists role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Food Scientists and Technologists roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Food Scientists and Technologists positions, the average offered salary of $97,768 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 16.3%, with 68% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Food Scientists and Technologists positions is 96%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Food Scientists and Technologists positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Food Scientists and Technologists H-1B filings is approximately 34 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Food Scientists and Technologists positions.