Food Technologist

A food technologist develops, tests, and optimises food products and manufacturing processes in food and beverage production facilities across Australia. They apply food science principles to improve product quality, shelf life, safety, and nutritional content while ensuring compliance with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) regulations and Food Safety Standards. The role involves laboratory testing, sensory evaluation, and liaison with production teams to scale recipes and resolve quality or safety issues.

Conduct chemical and microbiological analyses of raw materials, in-process samples, and finished food products using laboratory equipment such as HPLC, gas chromatography, and microbial culture techniques. Design and execute shelf-life stability studies to determine product degradation, microbial growth, and nutritional losses under various storage conditions. Develop and reformulate food products to meet consumer demands, regulatory requirements, and cost targets, including modification of ingredients, additives, and processing parameters. Perform sensory evaluation and organoleptic testing using trained panels to assess flavour, texture, colour, and appearance of food products. Ensure food products and manufacturing processes comply with FSANZ Food Safety Standards, HACCP principles, and relevant Australian food legislation. Scale laboratory recipes to pilot and commercial production volumes, working with production teams to identify technical challenges and optimise yield and efficiency. Conduct nutritional analysis and labelling calculations in accordance with FSANZ requirements, including allergen declaration and nutrient content claims. Investigate and resolve quality defects, contamination issues, or customer complaints by analysing root causes and recommending corrective or preventive actions.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll spend a lot of time in the lab doing repetitive testing and compliance work that won't change much year to year. The pay ceiling is lower than other science degrees because food manufacturing isn't high-margin. You also need formal qualifications (bachelor's degree minimum) and ongoing regulatory knowledge, so retraining costs are real if you're coming from unrelated work.

Remote work is rare; you need to be on-site in production facilities or quality labs.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2342, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiencycore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Improvement Identificationcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Incident Reporting
• Microsoft Excel Data Management
• Process Documentation
• Supplier Communication
• Time Management and Prioritisation
• Verbal Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026