What Is the Income of a Food Taster?

Food tasters in the US make $33,393 a year on average.

A food taster or--professional sensory panelist--risked life and limb to save the king during medieval times. To protect royals from assassination, food tasters would sample the fare intended for royal throats in case it was poisoned--thus protecting royal rulers from an ugly death. The average salary of a food taster as of 2010 is $33,393, according to cbsalary.com. The biggest perk of a food taster these days involves not having to risk death by poison to do a good job.

Salary Range

While the average income of a food taster is $33,393--there is a high end and a low end. The food taster salary in the U.S. goes as low as $23,159 in some areas. Higher-end food tasters--working in highly specialized laboratories or for large food distributors--can rake in as much as $47,342. Food tasters can taste general samples of food or drink, or they can specialize.

Types

There are two basic types of food taster careers. Food taster and pet food taster. Pet food tasters pull down an average of $40,000 according to simplyhired.com. According to Itchmo.com, in the article, "The Man Who Tests Pet Food," Simon Allison, professional pet food taster, said he's trained his palate to detect the delicacies cats and dogs as well as their owners love. Allison says he loves his job and his favorite dish is organic chicken dinner--vegetables included--for cats.

Food Taster

Food tasters earn their salaries sampling food or beverages to see if the items taste good, according to careerplanner.com's job description. The taster must be able to brew or cook small lots of beverages or food. They have to be proficient in determining approximate market value of the product, must be able to grade the product, and the food taster must determine if the beverage or food is acceptable to consumer tastes, according to careerplanner.com. They must also be able to write blending formulas to guide workers who prepare commercial quantities of food, or drink products. Food taster jobs may offer specialties such as dessert taster or tea taster.

Pet Food Taster

Pet food tasters average $40,000 a year.

This may rank up there with a job as odd as that of a crocodile wrangler's, but somebody's got to do it. Like any other food, dog and cat food must taste good enough to market. Unfortunately, pets can't discuss specifics about the taste. Like food tasters--there is a range in the pet food taster's salary. In rural areas, pet food taster salaries go as low as $33,000. Higher-end pet food tasters can earn as much as $52,000. Pet food tasters use part of their salaries stocking their labcoats with a generous supply of breath mints. Allison said he has water on hand to drink after every sample and always carries gum.

Training

Food tasters are paid for their specialized palate. They train their palates like athletes train their limbs, according to taste panel arranger, Fred Caporaso, in the Fox News article, Professional Taster. Caporaso serves as director of Chapman University's Sensory Evaluation Laboratory. He hires food tasters with aptitude who have a sharper than usual palate.

References

• CB Salary; Food Taster Salary; 2010
• Simply Hired; Dog Food Taster Salary; 2010
• "Itchmo"; The Man Who Tests Pet Food; 2008
• "Career Planner"; Taster Job Description; 2010
• "Fox News"; Professional Food Taster; January 13, 2004