Turns milk into cheese by controlling cultures, curd, pressing and aging, at dairy plants, creameries and farmstead operations. BLS does not publish separate figures for food batchmakers; it counts them within food batchmaker (SOC 51-3092), whose median pay is $42,290 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-3092
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Cheesemaker in four numbers
- Median pay
- $42,290a year, or $20.33/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $32KTop 10% $59K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.5%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 23,100176,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025176.8K
- Projected 2035188.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 176.8K Projected 2035 188.2K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school13.9%
- High school37.8%
- Certificate21.5%
- Some college26.7%
Highest education held by food batchmakers Segment Value Less than high school 13.9% High school 37.8% Certificate 21.5% Some college 26.7%
Also advertised as: Artisan Cheesemaker, Licensed Cheesemaker, Head Cheesemaker, Cheese Affineur, Farmstead Cheesemaker.
Pay
How much do Food Batchmakers make?
Every cheesemaker in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$42,290
Middle half earn $36,350 to $49,670
- 10th
- $31,990
- 25th
- $36,350
- 75th
- $49,670
- 90th
- $58,940
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $31,990 |
| 25th | $36,350 |
| Median | $42,290 |
| 75th | $49,670 |
| 90th | $58,940 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $42,290
- Median hourly wage
- $20.33/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $43,750
- People employed
- 174,520
Versus all US occupations
At $42,290, Food Batchmakers earn 17% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $8,690 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 12% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $58,940 or more while the bottom 10% earn $31,990, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 9% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Vermont posts the highest raw median ($50,180), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $55,035 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Food Batchmakers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Vermont | $50,180 | $51,226 | 1,000 |
| 2Idaho | $49,570 | $51,909 | 1,700 |
| 3Wisconsin | $48,360 | $51,395 | 18,040 |
| 4Iowa | $48,300 | $55,035 | 4,160 |
| 5Illinois | $48,130 | $48,150 | 12,320 |
| 6Kentucky | $46,900 | $52,019 | 4,570 |
| 7Georgia | $46,490 | $48,280 | 4,290 |
| 8Missouri | $45,690 | $50,310 | 2,280 |
| 9Colorado | $44,900 | $43,570 | 3,880 |
| 10Ohio | $44,590 | $48,063 | 7,040 |
Job outlook
Is Cheesemaker a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Food Batchmakers | +6.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Food Batchmakers to change 6.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 11,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 23,100 openings are projected each year, 13.1% of the 176,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Cheesemaker
Most cheesemakers learn by apprenticing at a creamery or dairy plant, often starting as production workers. Short courses from university dairy programs, such as the University of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, and food science coursework help with the science.
Wisconsin requires a state cheesemaker license, earned through a course and supervised experience, and it also offers the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker program for experienced licensed makers. The American Cheese Society offers education and runs the Certified Cheese Professional exam, which covers cheese making, aging and handling. Small farmstead makers often also need food safety and dairy plant permits.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as food batchmakers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)37.8%
- Some College Courses26.7%
- Post-Secondary Certificate21.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma13.9%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 37.8% |
| Some College Courses | 26.7% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 21.5% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 13.9% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Cheesemaker do?
Cheesemakers transform milk into cheese through a sequence of carefully timed steps. They test incoming milk, pasteurize it where required, add starter cultures and rennet, then cut, cook and stir the curd while watching acidity and texture. Afterward they drain whey, mold and press the cheese, and salt it in brine or by hand.
Aging is its own craft. Cheesemakers and affineurs manage caves and aging rooms, turning, brushing or washing wheels and tracking how each batch develops. Because cheese is a regulated dairy product, they also run sanitation programs, keep batch records, and follow federal and state dairy rules for pasteurized and raw milk cheeses.
Day-to-day tasks
- Test and pasteurize incoming milk
- Add cultures and rennet and monitor coagulation
- Cut, cook and stir curd to target texture and acidity
- Mold, press and salt cheese
- Turn, wash and monitor cheese during aging
- Maintain sanitation and food safety programs
- Record batch data and adjust recipes
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Cheesemaking is hands-on work in cool, wet production rooms, with lifting of curd and wheels and long periods on your feet. Days often start early to match milk delivery. Aging room work is cold and humid. Small farmstead operations may also involve milking, animal care and selling at farmers markets.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantLittle or no dealing with customers or the public.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayConflict situations are rare.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Writing2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Mathematics2.8
- Active Learning2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Mathematics | 2.8 |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Coordination3.0
- Operation and Control3.0
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
- Quality Control Analysis2.8
- Time Management2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.8 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.8 |
| Time Management | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Inventory management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Cheesemaker?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RIA) built on O*NET's Food Batchmaker profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Cheesemaker |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.1
- Conventional4.6
- Investigative3.1
- Artistic2.8
- Enterprising2.6
- Social1.5
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Cheesemaker
O*NET related occupations
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$44,810median a year
Most earn $33K to $63K
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More production careers
Median annual pay, with food batchmakers highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Cheesemaker$42,290
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Cheesemaker | $42,290 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Cheesemaker appears on
Questions
Cheesemaker: frequently asked questions
How much do Food Batchmakers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for food batchmakers. It counts them within food batchmaker, whose median pay is $42,290 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $36,350 and $49,670, and the top 10% earn $58,940 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cheesemaker?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Food Batchmakers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 37.8% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Cheesemaker a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.5% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 23,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cheesemaker do?
Cheesemakers transform milk into cheese through a sequence of carefully timed steps. A typical task: test and pasteurize incoming milk. Employers most often ask for Office suite software.
Which states pay Food Batchmakers the most?
The highest state medians for Food Batchmakers are Vermont ($50,180), Idaho ($49,570), Wisconsin ($48,360) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $55,035.
What personality type suits a Cheesemaker?
O*NET scores Food Batchmakers highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.