Food Science Degree in Durham, NC — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Durham, NC. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$55K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$85K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5 yrs
in Durham
Cost of Living
109
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Durham, NC Overview
Durham is one of North Carolina's top college towns, with 25 institutions and a student population of 56,021. Public tuition averages $6,477/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Durham is approximately $54,500, growing to $85,020 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
25
Public Tuition
$6,477/yr
Private Tuition
$62,688/yr
Room & Board
$14,101/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,850/yr
Unemployment
5.9%
Graduation Rate
54%
Food Science Salary in Durham (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Durham's cost of living index of 109 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Durham adjustment factor: 1.09x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Durham
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Durham tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $6,477 | Private avg: $62,688
Durham avg aid: $13,850/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$82,312
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$16,350
vs HS diploma in Durham
ROI Payback Period
5 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Durham
$440,888
Lifetime earnings premium ($523,200) minus total education cost ($82,312)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Durham
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Durham for Food Science
Duke University
private
$62,688/yr
$250,752 total
North Carolina Central University
public
$6,477/yr
$25,908 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Durham Technical Community College
$2,864/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Durham
Durham offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Durham Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby North Carolina Cities
Charlotte, NC
$45K starting · COL 89
39 colleges
Raleigh, NC
$42K starting · COL 83
21 colleges
Greensboro, NC
$46K starting · COL 91
17 colleges
Winston-Salem, NC
$53K starting · COL 106
26 colleges
Fayetteville, NC
$45K starting · COL 90
15 colleges
Cary, NC
$54K starting · COL 108.5
7 colleges
Wilmington, NC
$48K starting · COL 95
5 colleges
High Point, NC
$42K starting · COL 84.5
5 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Durham
Prompt Engineering
$55K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$104K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$93K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$96K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$89K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$87K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Durham — 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 Durham.