- Salary statistics
- Food consultant salary
Food consultant salary
Latest available salary statistics are for 2025. Compare average pay, salary range and related job listings.
38 300 - 54 400 SEK / month
Women earn 96% of what men do.
Naturvetenskapligt arbete
Related tools
Salary progression Food consultant
What does a food safety consultant do? – Tasks and work environment
A food safety consultant works with advising, supervision, and training in food safety, nutrition, and quality. The role often involves assessing and inspecting food handling at companies, restaurants, or public institutions, with a focus on ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. Tasks include inspections, information campaigns, investigations, and documentation. The environment is diverse; work takes place both in offices and on-site visits, requiring flexibility and good communication skills. Collaboration with authorities, companies, and the public is common.
Salary development over time
The salary for food safety consultants has shown a clear positive trend over the past three years. In 2022, the average salary was 38,000 SEK per month, increasing to 41 000 in 2023. In 2024, the average salary reached 42 600, which corresponds to an approximately 8% increase over three years. This development reflects a continued demand for expertise in food safety and environmental issues, where increased quality control and supervision requirements have contributed to a gradually higher salary level. Salary increases have been relatively evenly distributed, with no major gender pay gaps, although men tend to earn slightly higher wages on average. The trend indicates stabilization at a higher level, linked to market needs and regulatory changes in food handling.
Food safety consultant salary – comprehensive overview
- Average salary: 42 600 SEK/month
- Lowest salary: 34,000 SEK/month (male, public sector, pre-university education)
- Highest salary: 48,700 SEK/month (male, private sector, employed)
- Highest salary women: 48,100 SEK/month
- Lowest salary women: 38,200 SEK/month
- Hourly wage (average): 246 SEK
- Men: 43 900 SEK/month
- Women: 42 100 SEK/month
- Women earn: 96% of what men do
Education and qualifications
To work as a food safety consultant, a university degree in areas such as food technology, nutrition, environmental health, or similar is typically required. It is common to combine theoretical studies with practical training to gain a broad understanding of regulations and practical tasks. Many employers also value experience in supervision or advising within the food sector.
- Formal education: Bachelor's degree (3 years) in food science, environmental health, nutrition, or similar
- Certifications: Courses in food safety, HACCP, and quality assurance are advantageous
- Practical experience: Internships or trainee positions during studies are recommended
- Prerequisites: Eligibility for university studies and interest in science subjects
- Tips for choosing: Combine education with extra courses or projects in food and environment
Food safety consultants often work at the intersection of advising, inspection, and training, which requires high social skills and analytical ability. Many appreciate the variation between fieldwork and office tasks, and the opportunity to make a tangible difference for public health and sustainability. The role suits those who enjoy being the link between authorities, companies, and the public.
Common benefits and compensations
Food safety consultants are often offered benefits such as flexible working hours, wellness allowances, and opportunities for professional development. Pension schemes and extra vacation days are particularly common in the public sector. Other benefits include travel allowances and access to work tools such as mobile phones and computers.
Competition and challenges
The competition for positions as a food safety consultant is considered moderate, with a stable number of job openings and a relatively balanced recruitment situation nationally. Challenges in the profession include keeping up-to-date with changing regulations and handling complex cases where different interests must be balanced. Clear communication, both written and verbal, is crucial for success. The profession also requires precision and integrity, especially during inspections and reporting. Digitalization and new working methods increase demands for flexibility and continuous skill development.
Tips for those wanting to become a food safety consultant
To succeed as a food safety consultant, it is beneficial to combine analytical skills with a genuine interest in food and public health. Seeking internships in supervision or advising during studies is wise to build experience and networks. Good communication skills are essential, as the job often involves explaining complex regulations understandably. Being solution-oriented and flexible facilitates interactions with both companies and authorities. Accuracy in documentation and reporting is important, and teamwork skills ease work in cross-functional teams. Engagement in sustainability and ongoing professional development are also valued qualities in the industry.
Key facts about food safety consultants
- Education level: Bachelor's degree in food science, environmental health, or nutrition
- Work environment: Alternates between office and fieldwork
- Job market: Moderate opportunities, 143 job openings
- Gender distribution: Women earn 96% of men's salaries
- Special skills: Food safety, legislation, advising
Career paths and future outlook
After 3–5 years as a food safety consultant, there are good opportunities to advance to senior roles such as team leader, project manager, or specialist in food safety and environmental issues. Some choose to further their education in leadership or deepen their expertise in areas like nutrition or quality management. According to the Swedish Public Employment Service's forecast for environmental and health inspectors, where the profession is included, the job market is balanced with moderate opportunities nationwide. Demand is expected to be unchanged over the next five years, providing stable prospects. Digitalization and increased awareness of public health may gradually change the work content and create new career opportunities.
Frequently asked questions about food safety consultants
- What is the average salary of a food safety consultant?
- A food safety consultant has an average salary of 42 600 SEK per month. - What education is required to become a food safety consultant?
- Usually, a bachelor's degree in food science, environmental health, nutrition, or equivalent. - Are there gender differences in salary?
- Yes, women earn on average 96% of men's salaries in the profession. - What are the future prospects for food safety consultants?
- The job market is assessed to have moderate opportunities, and demand is expected to remain unchanged over the next five years. - What are the highest and lowest salaries for a food safety consultant?
- The highest salary is 48,700 SEK and the lowest is 34,000 SEK per month. - What is the work environment like for food safety consultants?
- The work environment is varied, alternating between office work and site visits to companies and facilities. - What benefits are common in the profession?
- Common benefits include flexible working hours, wellness allowances, and opportunities for professional development.
Salary distributed by age and sector
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-34 | 96% | 39500 kr | 39600 kr |
| 35-44 | 95% | 42500 kr | 42700 kr |
| 45-54 | 99% | 43800 kr | 43900 kr |
| 55-64 | 98% | 45300 kr | 45400 kr |
| Snitt | 96% | 42400 kr | 42600 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 106% | 35200 kr | 35300 kr |
| 25-34 | 100% | 38700 kr | 38800 kr |
| 35-44 | 99% | 41400 kr | 41500 kr |
| 45-54 | 99% | 42900 kr | 43000 kr |
| 55-64 | 99% | 44000 kr | 44100 kr |
| 65-68 | 101% | 43900 kr | 43900 kr |
| Snitt | 98% | 41400 kr | 41500 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-34 | 102% | 38900 kr | 39200 kr |
| 35-44 | 95% | 41900 kr | 42200 kr |
| 45-54 | 97% | 44400 kr | 44400 kr |
| 55-64 | 103% | 43700 kr | 44000 kr |
| 65-68 | 46000 kr | 46000 kr | |
| Snitt | 96% | 42100 kr | 42300 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 107% | 35400 kr | 35400 kr |
| 25-34 | 100% | 38700 kr | 38700 kr |
| 35-44 | 99% | 41300 kr | 41400 kr |
| 45-54 | 99% | 42700 kr | 42800 kr |
| 55-64 | 98% | 44000 kr | 44100 kr |
| 65-68 | 100% | 43600 kr | 43700 kr |
| Snitt | 98% | 41300 kr | 41400 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snitt | 94% | 51900 kr | 52500 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snitt | 94% | 51900 kr | 52500 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-34 | 96% | 40800 kr | 40800 kr |
| 35-44 | 95% | 44000 kr | 44300 kr |
| 45-54 | 99% | 44000 kr | 44300 kr |
| 55-64 | 98% | 45900 kr | 46100 kr |
| Snitt | 96% | 43700 kr | 43900 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 106% | 33600 kr | 33700 kr |
| 25-34 | 100% | 38700 kr | 38700 kr |
| 35-44 | 99% | 41800 kr | 41900 kr |
| 45-54 | 99% | 43100 kr | 43200 kr |
| 55-64 | 99% | 44300 kr | 44400 kr |
| 65-68 | 101% | 43700 kr | 43800 kr |
| Snitt | 98% | 41900 kr | 42100 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-34 | 102% | 38500 kr | 38500 kr |
| 35-44 | 95% | 44200 kr | 44400 kr |
| 45-54 | 97% | 45400 kr | 45700 kr |
| 55-64 | 103% | 43100 kr | 43300 kr |
| Snitt | 96% | 43700 kr | 44000 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 107% | 33600 kr | 33700 kr |
| 25-34 | 100% | 38700 kr | 38700 kr |
| 35-44 | 99% | 41600 kr | 41800 kr |
| 45-54 | 99% | 42900 kr | 43000 kr |
| 55-64 | 98% | 44500 kr | 44500 kr |
| 65-68 | 100% | 43500 kr | 43600 kr |
| Snitt | 98% | 41800 kr | 41900 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snitt | 94% | 53600 kr | 54400 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snitt | 94% | 53600 kr | 54400 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-34 | 96% | 39100 kr | 39200 kr |
| 35-44 | 95% | 41900 kr | 42100 kr |
| 45-54 | 99% | 43700 kr | 43800 kr |
| 55-64 | 98% | 44900 kr | 45000 kr |
| Snitt | 96% | 41900 kr | 42100 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 106% | 35800 kr | 35800 kr |
| 25-34 | 100% | 38700 kr | 38800 kr |
| 35-44 | 99% | 41300 kr | 41400 kr |
| 45-54 | 99% | 42800 kr | 42900 kr |
| 55-64 | 99% | 43800 kr | 43900 kr |
| 65-68 | 101% | 44000 kr | 44000 kr |
| Snitt | 98% | 41200 kr | 41300 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-34 | 102% | 39000 kr | 39200 kr |
| 35-44 | 95% | 41600 kr | 42000 kr |
| 45-54 | 97% | 44200 kr | 44200 kr |
| 55-64 | 103% | 44100 kr | 44500 kr |
| 65-68 | 45800 kr | 45800 kr | |
| Snitt | 96% | 41800 kr | 42000 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 107% | 36000 kr | 36000 kr |
| 25-34 | 100% | 38700 kr | 38700 kr |
| 35-44 | 99% | 41200 kr | 41300 kr |
| 45-54 | 99% | 42600 kr | 42700 kr |
| 55-64 | 98% | 43700 kr | 43800 kr |
| 65-68 | 100% | 43700 kr | 43700 kr |
| Snitt | 98% | 41100 kr | 41200 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snitt | 94% | 50600 kr | 51100 kr |
| Age | Base salary | Monthly salary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snitt | 94% | 50600 kr | 51100 kr |
About the data
All information displayed on this page is based on data from the Swedish Central Bureau of Statistics (SCB), the Swedish Tax Agency and the Swedish employment agency. Learn more about our data and data sources here.
All figures are gross salaries, meaning salaries before tax. The average salary, or mean salary, is calculated by adding up the total salary for all individuals within the profession and dividing it by the number of individuals. For specific job categories, we have also considered various criteria such as experience and education.
Profession Food consultant has the SSYK code 2182, which we use to match against the SCB database to obtain the latest salary statistics.
-
Food Operator for Hourly Employment – Students or Other Main Occupation
Environmental and health protection inspectors
Mon, 22 Jun 2026 - 21:36 -
Compliance Coordinator – Environment & Fire Safety
Environmental and health protection inspectors
Mon, 22 Jun 2026 - 21:29 -
Environmental and Public Health Inspector in Arjeplog Municipality
Environmental and health protection inspectors
Thu, 18 Jun 2026 - 13:18 -
HSEQ Manager at BKP in Arjeplog
Environmental and health protection inspectors
Thu, 18 Jun 2026 - 10:00
Compare salary, work tasks and job outlook in adjacent occupations to find roles with similar skills or pay levels.
-
Average salary: 48 100 SEK/month • Naturvetenskapligt arbete
Cell and molecular biologists etc.
Compare with Food consultant
Wed, 24 Jun 2026 - 07:27 -
Average salary: 55 000 SEK/month • Naturvetenskapligt arbete
Chemists
Compare with Food consultant
Wed, 24 Jun 2026 - 07:24 -
Average salary: 53 100 SEK/month • Naturvetenskapligt arbete
Physicists and astronomers
Compare with Food consultant
Wed, 24 Jun 2026 - 05:01 -
Average salary: 55 000 SEK/month • Naturvetenskapligt arbete
Chemists
Compare with Food consultant
Tue, 23 Jun 2026 - 21:15 -
Biologist, plant and animal salary
Average salary: 42 600 SEK/month • Naturvetenskapligt arbete
Plant and animal biologists
Compare with Food consultant
Wed, 24 Jun 2026 - 06:15 -
Average salary: 42 600 SEK/month • Naturvetenskapligt arbete
Plant and animal biologists
Compare with Food consultant
Tue, 23 Jun 2026 - 20:04