Food Science Degree in Jacksonville, FL — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Jacksonville, FL. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$59K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$91K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
3.8 yrs
in Jacksonville
Cost of Living
117
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Jacksonville, FL Overview
Jacksonville is one of Florida's top college towns, with 35 institutions and a student population of 36,092. Public tuition averages $6,394/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 Jacksonville is approximately $58,500, growing to $91,260 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
35
Public Tuition
$6,394/yr
Private Tuition
$26,965/yr
Room & Board
$10,215/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$14,539/yr
Unemployment
4.5%
Graduation Rate
71%
Food Science Salary in Jacksonville (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Jacksonville's cost of living index of 117 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Jacksonville adjustment factor: 1.17x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Jacksonville
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Jacksonville tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $6,394 | Private avg: $26,965
Jacksonville avg aid: $14,539/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$66,436
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$17,550
vs HS diploma in Jacksonville
ROI Payback Period
3.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Jacksonville
$495,164
Lifetime earnings premium ($561,600) minus total education cost ($66,436)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Jacksonville
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Jacksonville for Food Science
University of North Florida
public
$6,394/yr
$25,576 total
Jacksonville University
private
$39,280/yr
$157,120 total
Edward Waters University
private
$14,650/yr
$58,600 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Florida State College at Jacksonville
$3,100/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Jacksonville
Jacksonville offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Jacksonville Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Florida Cities
Miami, FL
$49K starting · COL 98
12 colleges
Tampa, FL
$51K starting · COL 101
26 colleges
Orlando, FL
$48K starting · COL 96
16 colleges
St. Petersburg, FL
$49K starting · COL 97
22 colleges
Hialeah, FL
$39K starting · COL 78
22 colleges
Port St. Lucie, FL
$49K starting · COL 98.5
8 colleges
Tallahassee, FL
$45K starting · COL 89
11 colleges
Cape Coral, FL
$49K starting · COL 97.8
7 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Jacksonville
Prompt Engineering
$59K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$111K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$99K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$103K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$96K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$59K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$94K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$59K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Jacksonville — 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 Jacksonville.