Space Food Scientist
NicheAlso known as: Space Nutrition Scientist, Aerospace Food Technologist
Develop and test food products that can withstand the extreme conditions of spaceflight while meeting astronaut nutritional and psychological needs.
Salary Range
The highest-paid specialization or seniority level for space food scientists.
About 1 in 50 reaches this level
~13,060 food scientists & technologists in the US (BLS SOC 19-1012, May 2024); space-food work is a sliver of that, and only ~250 reach a lead space-nutrition role at NASA JSC or ESA at ~$130K (est., no dedicated BLS code for space food).
Salary data based on 2025 BLS, Glassdoor, and industry reports. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, and employer.
How to Become One
This career typically requires a master's degree.
AI Risk Assessment
Space food science requires hands-on laboratory work, sensory evaluation, and understanding of how zero-gravity environments affect food chemistry and human nutrition — tasks that AI cannot replicate. With NASA's Artemis program, SpaceX's Mars ambitions, and growing commercial space tourism, demand for space nutrition expertise is slowly increasing. AI tools may help with nutritional modeling, but the physical experimentation and astronaut-facing work remains irreplaceably human. The main risk for new graduates is the extremely small number of positions, not AI displacement.
Ratings reflect a 10-year outlook based on 2025-2026 research, weighted toward entry-level impact. Individual outcomes will vary.
Related Careers
Is Space Food Scientist right for you?
Take our free 20-minute assessment to find out if space food scientist matches your personality, interests, and strengths.
Take the Free Assessment