Food Science Degree in Pomona, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Pomona, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$66K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$102K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
4.8 yrs
in Pomona
Cost of Living
131
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Pomona, CA Overview
Pomona, California (pop. 151,348) has 11 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 131 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $1,430/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Pomona is approximately $65,500, growing to $102,180 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
11
Public Tuition
$7,387/yr
Private Tuition
$40,824/yr
Room & Board
$16,037/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,843/yr
Unemployment
5.9%
Graduation Rate
66%
Food Science Salary in Pomona (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Pomona's cost of living index of 131 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Pomona adjustment factor: 1.31x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Pomona
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Pomona tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $7,387 | Private avg: $40,824
Pomona avg aid: $10,843/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$93,696
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$19,650
vs HS diploma in Pomona
ROI Payback Period
4.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Pomona
$535,104
Lifetime earnings premium ($628,800) minus total education cost ($93,696)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Pomona
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Pomona for Food Science
Cal Poly Pomona
public
$7,387/yr
$29,548 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Mt. San Antonio College
$1,540/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Pomona
Pomona offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Pomona Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$71K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Diego, CA
$70K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$65K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$57K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$59K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$56K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$58K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$66K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Pomona
Prompt Engineering
$66K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$124K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$111K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$115K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$107K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$111K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$66K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$105K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Pomona — 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 Pomona.