National Salary Info » Agricultural and Food Scientists

Highest Paying Industries for Agricultural and Food Scientists

The top 74 highest paying industries for agricultural and food scientists (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $80,450, electric power generation, transmission and distribution is the highest paying industry for agricultural and food scientists. It is followed by utilities industry (average annual salary $80,450). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of agricultural and food scientists in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 74 Highest Paying Industries for Agricultural and Food Scientists

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$80,450	$52,110	30
2	Utilities	$80,450	$52,110	30
3	Engineering Services	$79,310	$40,370	60
4	Tobacco Manufacturing	$75,990	$60,110	40
5	Federal government, including USPS	$75,370	$55,910	1,560
6	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$75,370	$55,910	1,560
7	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$73,200	$46,030	2,080
8	Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Stores	$69,780	$48,630	70
9	Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers	$69,780	$48,630	70
10	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$69,270	$41,340	5,800
11	Scientific Research and Development Services	$69,270	$41,340	5,820
12	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	$68,090	$42,930	270
13	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$67,810	$37,260	n/a
14	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$67,810	$39,800	40
15	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$67,150	$39,450	200
16	Chemical Manufacturing	$66,490	$39,310	260
17	Support Activities for Crop Production	$66,470	$28,820	340
18	Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry	$66,250	$36,200	580
19	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	$66,250	$36,200	580
20	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$65,730	$41,720	3,110
21	Federal, State, and Local Government	$65,730	$41,720	3,110
22	Support Activities for Animal Production	$65,550	$44,950	230
23	Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing	$64,990	$37,100	40
24	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	$64,940	$36,660	280
25	Transportation and Warehousing	$64,740	$29,520	30
26	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$64,720	$41,170	1,770
27	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$63,940	$35,590	9,570
28	Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers	$63,540	$42,340	n/a
29	Beverage Manufacturing	$63,010	$35,530	240
30	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$62,360	$33,880	150
31	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$62,360	$33,880	150
32	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$62,270	$34,110	160
33	Wholesale Trade	$62,240	$40,210	2,620
34	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	$62,100	$40,580	2,420
35	Other Food Manufacturing	$62,090	$35,070	1,950
36	Animal Food Manufacturing	$61,720	$29,420	490
37	Social Advocacy Organizations	$61,670	$31,880	90
38	Retail Trade	$61,170	$35,510	220
39	Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses	$60,500	$43,930	30
40	Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing	$59,850	$36,650	610
41	Manufacturing	$58,160	$33,100	7,680
42	Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers	$58,130	$40,960	n/a
43	Health Care and Social Assistance	$57,870	$31,550	40
44	Food Manufacturing	$57,520	$32,830	7,100
45	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$57,470	$37,290	7,170
46	Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	$57,390	$31,500	780
47	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$56,670	$37,010	900
48	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$56,380	$36,990	950
49	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	$56,240	$28,220	480
50	Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging	$56,060	$33,370	50
51	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$55,790	$29,520	2,810
52	Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	$55,730	$33,070	40
53	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$55,480	$29,000	670
54	Administrative and Support Services	$55,430	$29,020	670
55	Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers	$55,110	$35,770	170
56	Grain and Oilseed Milling	$54,190	$31,730	1,310
57	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$53,900	$35,340	660
58	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$53,710	$36,190	310
59	Nonstore Retailers	$53,590	$33,520	130
60	Educational Services - Privately owned	$53,440	$36,390	310
61	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$52,020	$30,910	880
62	State government, including schools and hospitals	$51,070	$35,550	4,660
63	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$50,920	$35,600	4,310
64	Dairy Product Manufacturing	$50,920	$32,980	1,160
65	Educational Services	$50,860	$35,640	4,360
66	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$50,630	$35,580	4,000
67	Educational Services - State government owned	$50,620	$35,580	4,000
68	Testing Laboratories	$49,720	$30,240	770
69	Educational Services - Local government owned	$48,580	$40,380	n/a
70	Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	$47,340	$33,520	60
71	Services to Buildings and Dwellings	$45,880	$28,070	n/a
72	Landscaping Services	$45,330	$27,970	n/a
73	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$45,050	$28,870	450
74	Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	$43,440	$28,270	370