AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-4013.00
Will AI replace Food Science Technicians?
Food Science Technicians: AI can already handle 11 of 16 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 16 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Food Science Technicians, from most to least exposed. 11 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Measure, test, or weigh bottles, cans, or other containers to ensure that hardness, strength, or dimensions meet specifications. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Monitor and control temperature of products. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Analyze test results to classify products or compare results with standard tables. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Prepare or incubate slides with cell cultures. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Examine chemical or biological samples to identify cell structures or to locate bacteria or extraneous material, using a microscope. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Conduct standardized tests on food, beverages, additives, or preservatives to ensure compliance with standards and regulations regarding factors such as color, texture, or nutrients. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Mix, blend, or cultivate ingredients to make reagents or to manufacture food or beverage products. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Supervise other food science technicians. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Compute moisture or salt content, percentages of ingredients, formulas, or other product factors, using mathematical and chemical procedures. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Provide assistance to food scientists or technologists in research and development, production technology, or quality control. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Order supplies needed to maintain inventories in laboratories or in storage facilities of food or beverage processing plants. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Train newly hired laboratory personnel. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain records of testing results or other documents as required by state or other governing agencies. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform regular maintenance of laboratory equipment by inspecting, calibrating, cleaning, or sterilizing. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 16 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 16 of 16. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 82% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 14,600
- Median annual wage
- $52,130
- Middle half of earners
- $46,020 to $63,270
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +4.8%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Food Scientists and Technologists 83% skill overlap, about 6 months to move Exposure52
- Chemical Technicians 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure52
- Agricultural Technicians 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure65
- Biological Technicians 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure62
- Biofuels Processing Technicians 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure28
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Food Science Technicians and AI
Will AI replace Food Science Technicians?
AI already handles 11 of the 16 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 63 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +4.8% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Food Science Technicians?
63 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 16 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 16 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Food Science Technicians tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Record or compile test results or prepare graphs, charts, or reports; Taste or smell foods or beverages to ensure that flavors meet specifications or to select samples with specific characteristics; Measure, test, or weigh bottles, cans, or other containers to ensure that hardness, strength, or dimensions meet specifications. They are three of the 11 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 82% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Food Science Technicians, and what do they earn?
14,600 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $52,130 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.8% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Food Science Technicians. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/food-science-technicians
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