Food Science Degree in Amarillo, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Amarillo, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$54K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$84K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
4.5 yrs
in Amarillo
Cost of Living
108
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Amarillo, TX Overview
Amarillo, Texas (pop. 200,393) has 14 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 108 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,096/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Amarillo is approximately $54,000, growing to $84,240 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
14
Public Tuition
$9,030/yr
Private Tuition
$43,100/yr
Room & Board
$9,166/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,360/yr
Unemployment
4.7%
Graduation Rate
66%
Food Science Salary in Amarillo (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Amarillo's cost of living index of 108 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Amarillo adjustment factor: 1.08x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Amarillo
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Amarillo tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $9,030 | Private avg: $43,100
Amarillo avg aid: $15,360/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$72,784
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$16,200
vs HS diploma in Amarillo
ROI Payback Period
4.5 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Amarillo
$445,616
Lifetime earnings premium ($518,400) minus total education cost ($72,784)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Amarillo
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Amarillo for Food Science
West Texas A&M University
public
$9,030/yr
$36,120 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Amarillo College
$2,604/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Amarillo
Amarillo offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Amarillo Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$58K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$60K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$52K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$54K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$51K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$47K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Arlington, TX
$47K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$41K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Amarillo
Prompt Engineering
$54K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$103K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$92K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$95K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$89K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$92K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$54K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$86K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Amarillo — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Food Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Amarillo.