Food Science Degree in Port St. Lucie, FL — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Port St. Lucie, FL. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$49K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$77K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.6 yrs
in Port St. Lucie
Cost of Living
98.5
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Port St. Lucie, FL Overview
Port St. Lucie, Florida (pop. 217,573) has 8 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 98.5 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,020/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Port St. Lucie is approximately $49,250, growing to $76,830 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
8
Public Tuition
$6,400/yr
Private Tuition
$30,000/yr
Room & Board
$14,301/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$9,088/yr
Unemployment
3.1%
Graduation Rate
55%
Food Science Salary in Port St. Lucie (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Port St. Lucie's cost of living index of 98.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Port St. Lucie adjustment factor: 0.98x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Port St. Lucie
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Port St. Lucie tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $6,400 | Private avg: $30,000
Port St. Lucie avg aid: $9,088/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$82,804
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$14,775
vs HS diploma in Port St. Lucie
ROI Payback Period
5.6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Port St. Lucie
$389,996
Lifetime earnings premium ($472,800) minus total education cost ($82,804)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Port St. Lucie
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Port St. Lucie for Food Science
Port St. Lucie State University
public
$6,581/yr
$26,324 total
University of Port St. Lucie
public
$7,114/yr
$28,456 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Port St. Lucie Community College
$5,508/yr
Florida Technical College - Port St. Lucie
$5,038/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Port St. Lucie
Port St. Lucie offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Port St. Lucie Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Florida Cities
Jacksonville, FL
$59K starting · COL 117
35 colleges
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
Tallahassee, FL
$45K starting · COL 89
11 colleges
Cape Coral, FL
$49K starting · COL 97.8
7 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Port St. Lucie
Prompt Engineering
$49K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$94K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$84K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$87K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$81K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$49K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$79K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$49K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Port St. Lucie — 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 Port St. Lucie.