Food Science Degree in Richmond, VA — Salary & ROI 2026
Food Science degree analysis for Richmond, VA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$50K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$78K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.8 yrs
in Richmond
Cost of Living
100
index (100 = avg)
Food Science in Richmond, VA Overview
Richmond, Virginia (pop. 226,610) has 11 colleges offering Food Science programs. The local cost of living index of 100 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $737/month. Food Science enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Food Safety and Food Processing. The adjusted starting salary in Richmond is approximately $50,000, growing to $78,000 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
11
Public Tuition
$14,676/yr
Private Tuition
$58,570/yr
Room & Board
$10,932/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$9,068/yr
Unemployment
5.7%
Graduation Rate
65%
Food Science Salary in Richmond (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Richmond's cost of living index of 100 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Food Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Richmond adjustment factor: 1.00x based on the local cost of living index.
Food Science ROI Calculator for Richmond
Estimate your return on investment for a Food Science degree using local Richmond tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,676 | Private avg: $58,570
Richmond avg aid: $9,068/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$102,432
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$15,000
vs HS diploma in Richmond
ROI Payback Period
6.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Richmond
$377,568
Lifetime earnings premium ($480,000) minus total education cost ($102,432)
Student Loan Payoff for Food Science in Richmond
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Richmond for Food Science
Virginia Commonwealth University
public
$14,676/yr
$58,704 total
University of Richmond
private
$58,570/yr
$234,280 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Reynolds Community College
$5,340/yr
Top Employers for Food Science in Richmond
Richmond offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Food Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Richmond Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Food Science Job Titles
Food Science in Nearby Virginia Cities
Virginia Beach, VA
$44K starting · COL 88
13 colleges
Chesapeake, VA
$46K starting · COL 91
12 colleges
Arlington, VA
$71K starting · COL 142.5
9 colleges
Norfolk, VA
$47K starting · COL 93
16 colleges
Newport News, VA
$46K starting · COL 92.5
7 colleges
Alexandria, VA
$51K starting · COL 102
8 colleges
Hampton, VA
$49K starting · COL 97
7 colleges
Roanoke, VA
$44K starting · COL 88.5
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Richmond
Prompt Engineering
$50K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$95K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$85K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$88K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$82K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$50K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$80K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$50K starting · 3 yr ROI
Food Science Degree in Richmond — 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 Richmond.