Food Science Degree in Arlington, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Arlington, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$47K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$73K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
7.3 yrs
in Arlington
Cost of Living
93.5
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Arlington, TX Overview
Arlington, Texas (pop. 394,266) has 14 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 93.5 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $795/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Arlington is approximately $46,750, growing to $72,930 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
14
Public Tuition
$10,900/yr
Private Tuition
$36,000/yr
Room & Board
$14,627/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$14,822/yr
Unemployment
3.3%
Graduation Rate
51%
Food Science Salary in Arlington (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Arlington's cost of living index of 93.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Arlington adjustment factor: 0.94x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Arlington
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Arlington tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,900 | Private avg: $36,000
Arlington avg aid: $14,822/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$102,108
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$14,025
vs HS diploma in Arlington
ROI Payback Period
7.3 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Arlington
$346,692
Lifetime earnings premium ($448,800) minus total education cost ($102,108)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Arlington
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Arlington for Food Science
Arlington State University
public
$11,254/yr
$45,016 total
University of Arlington
public
$12,320/yr
$49,280 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Arlington Community College
$5,331/yr
Texas Technical College - Arlington
$5,252/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Arlington
Arlington offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Arlington 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
Corpus Christi, TX
$41K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$43K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Arlington
Prompt Engineering
$47K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$89K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$79K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$82K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$77K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Arlington — 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 Arlington.