Salary guide, May 2025
Product Development Scientist pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Food Scientists and Technologists in the United States was $88,720 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $68,810 and $116,650.
Broader occupation · SOC 19-1012 Food Scientists and Technologists
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $52,920 | $68,810 | $88,720 | $116,650 | $145,280 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25.44 | $33.08 | $42.65 | $56.08 | $69.85 |
BLS estimated 13,060 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 19-1012 Food Scientists and Technologists, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $68,590 | $68,590 to $85,780 | 110 | 1.79 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $104,200 | $81,180 to $130,870 | 730 | 0.92 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $104,200 | $81,180 to $130,870 | 730 | 0.92 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $93,670 | $77,190 to $118,560 | 410 | 1.19 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $100,390 | $76,970 to $130,910 | 610 | 1.62 |
Rank every metro for Product Development Scientist
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$108,240 Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging$101,160 Chemical Manufacturing$97,830 Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$97,580 Other Food Manufacturing$95,570 Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing$87,780 Animal Food Manufacturing$85,760 Grain and Oilseed Milling$85,190 Food Manufacturing$85,160 Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing$85,160 Manufacturing$84,680 Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing$82,100 Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing$79,190 Beverage Manufacturing$79,190 Dairy Product Manufacturing$77,140
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)$108,240
- Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging$101,160
- Chemical Manufacturing$97,830
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$97,580
- Other Food Manufacturing$95,570
- Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing$87,780
- Animal Food Manufacturing$85,760
- Grain and Oilseed Milling$85,190
- Food Manufacturing$85,160
- Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing$85,160
- Manufacturing$84,680
- Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing$82,100
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing$79,190
- Beverage Manufacturing$79,190
- Dairy Product Manufacturing$77,140
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 7,400 | $66,290 | $84,680 | $108,050 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 6,330 | $66,060 | $85,160 | $107,890 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 2,250 | $75,860 | $95,570 | $124,070 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 980 | $61,520 | $77,140 | $100,100 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 870 | $48,210 | $74,010 | $93,330 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 780 | $66,280 | $79,190 | $97,360 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 780 | $66,280 | $79,190 | $97,360 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 690 | $62,740 | $82,100 | $104,340 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 560 | $73,390 | $87,780 | $122,070 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 330 | $71,670 | $85,190 | $104,740 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 330 | $69,840 | $85,160 | $103,800 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 260 | $68,970 | $85,760 | $104,600 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 250 | $81,200 | $97,830 | $126,480 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 210 | $81,200 | $97,580 | $122,320 |
| 311700 | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 70 | $75,160 | $101,160 | $124,910 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 40 | $81,550 | $108,240 | $138,740 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Product Development Scientist, separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $65,240 | $85,310 | $111,700 |
| May 2025 | $68,810 | $88,720 | $116,650 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about the decision behind the experience?
The useful evidence is a formulation result translated into scale-up and stability requirements, not a list of equipment or projects. Discuss what information was available during a formulation result translated into scale-up and stability requirements. A clear explanation exposes scientific product development rather than routine QC testing much better than asking whether the candidate has held the title before.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Product Development Scientist?
The median annual wage for Food Scientists and Technologists in the United States was $88,720 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $68,810 and $116,650. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $52,920. 90% earned less than $145,280.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Product Development Scientist at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 13,060 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
VP of Engineering pay Director of R&D pay Mechanical Design Engineer pay Product Development Engineer pay Electrical Design Engineer pay Product Development Scientist pay ranked across all metros Open jobs Product Development Scientist recruiting Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters evaluates the Product Development Scientist role, which is mapped to the 19-1012 Food Scientists and Technologists occupation. The national median for this role is $88,720 as of May 2025, compared to $85,310 in May 2024. The middle-band width is $47,840, calculated from a P25 of $68,810 and a P75 of $116,650.
Because the BLS uses a specific occupational title for this group, the data is more focused than broader engineering categories, yet it still covers a variety of scientists across all industry types and skill levels.
Regional employment hubs provide context: the New York-Newark-Jersey City area reports a median of $104,200 with a $49,690 band width, and the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area shows a median of $100,390 with a $53,940 band width. Nationally, the Chemical Manufacturing industry row stands at $97,830, while specialized sectors like Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging reach $101,160. These figures suggest that technical expertise in product science commands premiums, particularly in concentrated industry sectors, and they offer a concrete basis for comparison.
We screen candidates for this role based on their ability to translate experimental formulation results into large-scale production requirements and stability protocols. The BLS data should be used as a foundation for total compensation, bearing in mind that it does not reflect specialized incentives for research output or patent contributions. Hiring managers must account for these missing components, as well as the difference between routine quality control testing and high-level product development science. As the provided figures represent national averages for the broader SOC code, they provide an excellent starting point for market alignment, provided the manager considers the specific research complexity and technical background of the hire.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the national Chemical Manufacturing median higher than the general median?
The Chemical Manufacturing sector involves high-value technical requirements for scale-up and stability. This drives the median up from the national broad-occupation average.
What is the importance of the middle-band width?
The $47,840 band represents the pay gap between entry-level and advanced scientific roles. It helps managers understand the range of compensation required to attract experienced talent.
Is QC testing included in the product development salary data?
Yes, the 19-1012 classification covers all scientists in the field. Managers must ensure they are hiring for high-level development rather than routine testing.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4