Food Science Degree in North Hempstead, NY — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for North Hempstead, NY. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$71K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$110K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
4.8 yrs
in North Hempstead
Cost of Living
141.3
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in North Hempstead, NY Overview
North Hempstead, New York (pop. 237,610) has 9 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 141.3 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $1,650/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in North Hempstead is approximately $70,650, growing to $110,214 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
9
Public Tuition
$10,200/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$15,148/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,947/yr
Unemployment
3.7%
Graduation Rate
71%
Food Science Salary in North Hempstead (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for North Hempstead's cost of living index of 141.3 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.North Hempstead adjustment factor: 1.41x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for North Hempstead
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local North Hempstead tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,200 | Private avg: $42,000
North Hempstead avg aid: $8,947/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$101,392
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$21,195
vs HS diploma in North Hempstead
ROI Payback Period
4.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in North Hempstead
$576,848
Lifetime earnings premium ($678,240) minus total education cost ($101,392)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in North Hempstead
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in North Hempstead for Food Science
North Hempstead State University
public
$9,621/yr
$38,484 total
University of North Hempstead
public
$9,762/yr
$39,048 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
North Hempstead Community College
$6,152/yr
New York Technical College - North Hempstead
$6,228/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in North Hempstead
North Hempstead offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key North Hempstead Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby New York Cities
New York City, NY
$83K starting · COL 166
49 colleges
New York, NY
$94K starting · COL 187.2
279 colleges
Oyster Bay, NY
$73K starting · COL 145
11 colleges
Buffalo, NY
$61K starting · COL 122
10 colleges
Babylon, NY
$76K starting · COL 152.3
8 colleges
Yonkers, NY
$73K starting · COL 145.3
8 colleges
Rochester, NY
$70K starting · COL 140
13 colleges
Huntington, NY
$68K starting · COL 135.6
8 colleges
Other STEM Majors in North Hempstead
Prompt Engineering
$71K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$134K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$120K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$124K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$116K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$71K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$113K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$71K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in North Hempstead — 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 North Hempstead.