Food Science Degree in Pueblo, CO — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Pueblo, CO. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$61K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$95K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.8 yrs
in Pueblo
Cost of Living
122
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Pueblo, CO Overview
Pueblo, Colorado (pop. 111,876) has 13 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 122 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $1,055/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Pueblo is approximately $61,000, growing to $95,160 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
13
Public Tuition
$10,380/yr
Private Tuition
$39,631/yr
Room & Board
$16,375/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$7,147/yr
Unemployment
5.6%
Graduation Rate
48%
Food Science Salary in Pueblo (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Pueblo's cost of living index of 122 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Pueblo adjustment factor: 1.22x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Pueblo
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Pueblo tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,380 | Private avg: $39,631
Pueblo avg aid: $7,147/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$107,020
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$18,300
vs HS diploma in Pueblo
ROI Payback Period
5.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Pueblo
$478,580
Lifetime earnings premium ($585,600) minus total education cost ($107,020)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Pueblo
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Pueblo for Food Science
Colorado State University-Pueblo
public
$10,380/yr
$41,520 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Pueblo Community College
$4,419/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Pueblo
Pueblo offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Pueblo Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Colorado Cities
Denver, CO
$64K starting · COL 128
31 colleges
Colorado Springs, CO
$61K starting · COL 122
22 colleges
Aurora, CO
$56K starting · COL 111
28 colleges
Fort Collins, CO
$63K starting · COL 126
5 colleges
Lakewood, CO
$53K starting · COL 105.8
6 colleges
Thornton, CO
$51K starting · COL 102.5
6 colleges
Arvada, CO
$53K starting · COL 105.5
5 colleges
Westminster, CO
$52K starting · COL 103.8
5 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Pueblo
Prompt Engineering
$61K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$116K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$104K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$107K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$100K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$61K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$98K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$61K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Pueblo — 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 Pueblo.