Food Scientist salary in Seattle, WA

Based on 12 certified H-1B filings in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Issaquah, Preston.

Also listed as: Food Technologist

Median salary$122,179
Middle 50%$107.8k–$145.9k
vs. national median+37%comparison median $88,962
Filings12FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $79,621 and $219,960.
PercentileSalary
10th$103,214
25th$107,792
50th (median)$122,179
75th$145,873
90th$214,313

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $100k $140k FY2020: median $75,360 (10 filings) FY2021: median $82,500 (10 filings) FY2022: median $87,350 (14 filings) FY2025: median $128,544 (11 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 10 filings FY20 FY2021: 10 filings FY21 FY2022: 14 filings FY22 FY2023: 8 filings FY23 FY2024: 5 filings FY24 FY2025: 11 filings FY25 FY2026: 1 filings FY26 14
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$75,360$62,750$103,60510
FY2021$82,500$67,157$120,70510
FY2022$87,350$69,776$103,75014
FY2023–––8
FY2024–––5
FY2025$128,544$108,270$151,74611
FY2026–––1

Cost of living

Seattle's median Food Scientist salary of $122,179 is worth about $109,900 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Seattle = 111.1).

Compared with all workers here

All Food Scientists and Technologists in the Seattle, WA area earned a median of $100,000 in May 2025 (120 employed). The H-1B median here is $122,179, 22% higher.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Darigoldtoo few3
CookUnitytoo few2
Starbucks Coffee Companytoo few2
Talking Rain Beverage Companytoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I – 0
Mid-level · Level II – 0
Senior · Level III too few 2
Expert · Level IV too few 4

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.