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FCS Industry Statistics

Family and Consumer Sciences is the people-centered science, focused on supporting individuals, families, and communities live healthy successful lives through the provision of education, research, and technology.

Professionals working in the Family and Consumer Sciences Industry work in 

•    Academic education including early childhood, elementary, secondary, and higher education.
•    Community education for adults and youth, including cooperative extension programs.
•    Business and Industry.
•    Government.
•    Health and Human Services.

The research and focus of the Family and Consumer Sciences industry on the person makes FCS professionals the perfect fit to advice business and industry and government agencies on the impact of programs and products on consumers, the development of consumer outreach strategies, and the successful implementation of communication and outreach programs. 


FCS professionals have worked to develop the flight suits for space travel, brought food and nutrition education to families during the great depression, and work tirelessly each day to ensure that students, adults, and older adults have the needed life skills such as personal finance, food and nutrition, and personal responsibility, to be successful in their careers and life.  

NOTE:  This research is ongoing, additional data and statistics will be added in the coming weeks.

In 2024, the AAFCS embarked on a project to map the breadth of the Family and Consumer Sciences industry. The goal of the project is to identify the enrollment and graduation rates of FCS post-secondary students and by comparing graduation rates in FCS with overall rates for a given career path, develop estimates of the economic contributions of the FCS industry on the overall U.S. Economy.


One challenge faced in developing the data included below was the range of terminology used to refer to Family and Consumer Sciences. Home Economics is still widely used around the world and in areas of the United States as well as Human Ecology, Human Sciences, and Health and Human Sciences. These terms should be seen as representative of the whole of Family and Consumer Sciences, where each serve as supporting areas of focus and a transition to new applications of Family and Consumer Sciences research and skill sets. 


The data included below was collected from:

Graduates of Family and Consumer Sciences programs organized by degree achieved:

 

Apparel and Textiles

Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies

Family and Consumer Sciences/ Human Sciences Business Services

Family and Consumer Sciences/ Human Sciences, General

Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services

Housing and Human Environments

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

Work and Family Studies

Assoc.

800

6

28

215

1042

387

6344

Baccalaureate

52145

18459

6862

44398

98556

19006

109075

10

Doctoral

437

241

45

788

3101

105

2527

Masters

1775

1414

99

6959

17387

688

10716

1

Grand Total

55,157

20,120

7,034

52,360

120,086

20,186

128,662

11

*The data included above is sourced from reports submitted by institutions of higher education in 2024.

Graduates of Family and Consumer Sciences programs reported in 2024, organized by Academic Area:

 

Apparel and Textiles

Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies

Family and Consumer Sciences/ Human Sciences Business Services

Family and Consumer Sciences/ Human Sciences, General

Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services

Housing and Human Environments

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services

Work and Family Studies

Number of Students

55,157

20,120

7,034

52,360

120,086

20,186

128,662

11

 

Calculation of % of FCS in total food, nutrition, and culinary programs[1]

 

FCS

Non-FCS

 

State

Foods, Nutrition, and related Services

Personal and Culinary Services

% of those graduating in the Food area that are FCS professionals.

Alabama

4,169

1,306

76%

Alaska

 

34

 0%

Arizona

4,844

3,650

57%

Arkansas

1,595

1,581

50%

California

12,071

15,865

43%

Colorado

1,561

6,368

20%

Connecticut

 

818

 

Delaware

1,655

386

81%

District of Columbia

340

167

67%

Florida

4,791

14,171

25%

Georgia

2,067

5,543

27%

Hawaii

357

488

42%

Idaho

700

1,367

34%

Illinois

3,554

5,134

41%

Indiana

1,883

2,297

45%

Iowa

1,457

1,070

58%

Kansas

2,842

1,426

67%

Kentucky

2,051

1,551

57%

Louisiana

1,755

4,353

29%

Maine

938

458

67%

Maryland

357

1,440

20%

Massachusetts

1,712

1,927

47%

Michigan

4,716

3,557

57%

Minnesota

1,848

1,250

60%

Missouri

1,833

1,729

51%

Montana

93

226

29%

Mississippi

916

1,277

42%

Nebraska

3,450

583

86%

Nevada

885

2,361

27%

New Hampshire

 

392

 0%

New Jersey

2,155

3,340

39%

New Mexico

541

1,356

29%

New York

3,346

7,363

31%

North Carolina

4,935

3,650

57%

North Dakota

366

218

63%

Ohio

5,256

4,744

53%

Oklahoma

2,664

2,441

52%

Oregon

1,041

1,303

44%

Pennsylvania

3,345

4,550

42%

Rhode Island

2,644

787

77%

South Carolina

349

2,290

13%

South Dakota

387

209

65%

Tennessee

2,153

2,809

43%

Texas

9,544

14,073

40%

Utah

2,523

3,576

41%

Vermont

1,302

63

95%

Virginia

5,247

1,605

77%

Washington

933

2,417

28%

West Virginia

418

470

47%

Wisconsin

2,070

1,778

54%

Wyoming

17

61

22%

 

 

 

 

Total:

115,676

141,878

45%

Note: Where data is not available, this could be the result of an absence of reporting data from institutions and should not be assumed to be a lack of graduating students. Not all institutions chose to report their data for inclusion in aggregated reports. 


[1]U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Completions component 2021-22 provisional data, https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/TrendGenerator/app/build-table/4/24?rid=6&cid=71

Family and Consumer Sciences graduates make up, on average, 45% of all graduates amongst reporting institutions in the Food career area. This includes Food science and nutrition, food education, culinary services and more. In several states, such as Alabama, Delaware, Nebraska, Vermont, and Virginian FCS graduates exceeded those from other programs by over 70%.
Note, these numbers do not include graduates of specialized culinary institutions which may not report their graduation data to state agencies.


Sub-Industry Analysis:
1.    In the Accommodation & Food Services Industry, employees generate approximately $98,000 in revenue each year. The industry employs 14 million people in the United States and generates 1.3 trillion dollars in revenue each year. If all FCS professionals graduating from FCS Food programs pursued careers in Accommodation and Food Service, their total contribution to the US Economy would be $11 billion dollars per year. The average salary of First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers is $37,700/year. 


2.    In the Catering Industry, employees generate approximately $44,000 in revenue each year. The industry employs 275k people and generates 12.2 billion dollars per year. If all FCS professionals graduating from FCS Food programs pursued careers in Catering, their total contribution to the US Economy would be $5 billion dollars per year. The average salary for chefs and head cooks was $58,900/year in 2023.


3.    In the Food Education Industry, employees generate approximately $205,000 in revenue each year. The industry employs 482k people and generates 98.9 billion dollars per year. If all FCS professionals graduating from FCS Food programs pursued careers in Catering, their total contribution to the US Economy would be $236 billion dollars per year. The average salary of employees working in the Food Education space is $88,000/year.

Culinary Arts, Hospitality, and Tourism

  • Culinary Arts  
    • While “Culinary & Food Services” is listed under Hospitality and Events, Family and Consumer Sciences include separate skills training, making it possible for both to remain as subsectors of both career clusters. Culinary & Food Service under Hospitality and Events looks at the science of cooking, baking, and more, students attending Family and Consumer Sciences classes under Culinary arts learn about the sourcing of food materials, food chemicals including additives and preservatives, reading food labels, nutrition, and more. 
    • Family and Consumer Sciences graduates make up, on average, 45% of all graduates amongst reporting institutions in the Food career area. This includes Food science and nutrition, food education, culinary services and more. In several states, such as Alabama, Delaware, Nebraska, Vermont, and Virginia FCS graduates exceeded those from other programs by over 70%. Considering the high percentage of Culinary Arts professionals who graduate from Family and Consumer Sciences programs, the lack of a Family and Consumer Sciences cluster will have great and negative affects on the number of employable individuals graduating into the workforce over the next few years. 
    • In the Food Education Industry, employees generate approximately $205,000 in revenue each year. The industry employs 482k people and generates 98.9 billion dollars per year. If all FCS professionals graduating from FCS Food programs pursued careers in Catering, their total contribution to the US Economy would be $236 billion dollars per year. The average salary of employees working in the Food Education space is $88,000/year. 
    • Chefs and Head Cooks, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/chefs-and-head-cooks.htm, median salary of $58k, Employment is expected to increase by 5% from 2022-2032.
  • Hospitality, and Event Management 
    • This pathway can be shared with the Hospitality and Events, it is not meant to replace this cluster but to focus on the management of hospitality and events, not cover the performance of those sub-sector activities. Management is a separate s and is included in the Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge and educational programs. 
    • Athletic Event Organization is a 4.3Bn industry employing 24k individuals. The average salary of employees working in the Food Education space is $25,000/year and employment is expected to grow by 3% from 2023-2028.
    • Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/meeting-convention-and-event-planners.htm, median salary of $56k, Employment is expected to increase by 8% from 2022-2032.
    • Wedding Planners are a 1.6Bn industry employing 26k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 0.4% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $11k.

Education and Training

  • Education consultation is a $2.0Bn industry employing 76k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 1.8% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $11k.
  • Educational Services is a $1.9Tr industry employing 14m individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 1% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $77k.
  • Post secondary teachers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm, median salary of $84k, Employment is expected to increase by 8% from 2022-2032.
  • Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1192.00 
  • After-School Programs is a 23.9Bn industry employing 647k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to decrease by .8% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $20k.

Food Science and Nutrition

Health Management and Wellness

  • Corporate Wellness Services is a $19Bn industry employing 2k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 1.2% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $2m.
  • Gym, Health & Fitness Clubs is a $31Bn industry employing 1m individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 2.4% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $12k
  • Counseling and Mental Health  
    • This pathway can be shared with Human Services as they both focus on the needs of individuals and communities. Where human services focus on social services, veteran assistance, and community relations. Family and Consumer Sciences focuses on mental and physical wellness, adult education, nutrition assistance, and outreach.
    • The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 10.6% employment growth for mental health counselors between 2022 and 2032. 18% for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors.
    • Median wage: $53k
    • Mental and physical wellness counselors develop programs to teach people about conditions affecting well-being. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm, median salary: $62k, employment in this subsector is expected to grow by 7% from 2022-2032.
    • Adult Basic and Secondary Education Teachers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/adult-literacy-and-ged-teachers.htm, Median Salary: $60k, employment in this subsector is expected to decrease by 13% from 2022-2032.
    • Job Training & Career Counseling is a $17Bn dollar industry employing 222k individuals. 
  • Gerontology and Elder Services

    • Separate from healthcare provided to the U.S. aging population under the Health Sciences Career Cluster, Family and Consumer Scientists provide In-home and community services from food science and nutrition, interior design, consumer education and protection, emergency response, mental health and support, and more. 

    • Elderly & Disabled Services is a 74Bn dollar industry employing 1million individuals. Employment is expected to grow by 2% from 2024-2029. 

    • Adult Daycare is a 7.5Bn industry employing 280k individuals. Employment is expected to grow by 5% from 2024-2029.

    • Continuing research into age related illnesses and preventing early onset of these illnesses makes this an emerging industry for those working in Family and Consumer Sciences. In the next five years, a continued rise in the population's average age will bring stronger growth to adult day care services. Advances in medical technology and increasing life expectancy will sustain demand, boosting industry revenue as more older adults seek and maintain enrollment. The industry's growing popularity will intensify competition, prompting centers to enhance care quality to attract clients.

  • Human Services and Community Wellbeing

    • Individual and Family Services, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_624100.htm, Includes a wide range of subsectors which closely align with Family and Consumer Sciences. 

    • Home Care is a $137k industry employing 2million individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 3.8% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $31k. 

  • Individual, Family, and Social Services

Housing and Interior Design

  • Interior design under the Family and Consumer Sciences career cluster includes considerations of consumer safety, the needs of those with physical or mental impairment, local building codes, and the emerging field of sustainability. Additionally, there is further growth in the emerging field of circular economy of products, green and/or net zero houses, and smart housing. All being explored by Family and Consumer Sciences researchers. 
  • Interior Design is a $25Bn industry employing 177k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 3% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $26k.
  • Interior Designers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/interior-designers.htm, median salary of $62k, Employment is expected to increase by 4% from 2022-2032.

Human/Child Development and Family Relations

  • Preschool teachers, https://www.bls.gov/OOH/education-training-and-library/preschool-teachers.htm, median salary of $37k, Employment is expected to increase by 3% from 2022-2032.
  • Early Childhood Learning is a $22Bn industry employing 296k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to decrease by 1.2% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $36k.
  • Day Care is a $71Bn industry employing 1m individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 1.2$ from 2024-2029 and median salary is $23k.
  • This subsector has a focus on research into the development of humans from early childhood through adulthood and contributes to new approaches to therapy, education, social services and informs the development of new products and services. Family and consumer scientists with this subsector specialization work for state and federal agencies to oversee the development of programs and services, human and child services policy, and standardization, for manufacturers and retainers and more. 

  • Early Childhood Learning is a $22Bn industry employing 296k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to decrease by 1.2% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $36k.

  • Day Care is a $71Bn industry employing 1m individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 1.2$ from 2024-2029 and median salary is $23k.

Personal and Family Finance

  • Personal and Family finance focuses on education and training on the development of personal and family budgets, understanding common banking, lending, and leasing terminology and the affects that risk ratings have on credit, how compounding interest will affect loans and credit card bills, and highlights important topics like predatory lending, high interest rates, and common financial scams.  Personal and Family finance better prepares individuals and families to successfully manage their finances.  
  • Many states have begun requiring high school graduates pass a personal finance course prior to graduation. The Family and Consumer Sciences subsector specialty in Personal and Family Finance addresses all of the topics typically required by such legislation.
  • Personal Financial Advisors, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/personal-financial-advisors.htm, Median Salary: $99k, 13% growth expected from 2022-2032.
  • Financial Advisor was ranked #6 in Best Business jobs by U.S. News and World Report in 2023.
  • Consumer finance helps people afford products and services by paying in installments over a fixed period of time. The consumer financial services market is made up of key players including credit card services, mortgage lenders, and personal and student loan services.

Textiles, Apparel, and Retailing

  • Fashion Design and Merchandising
    • Family and Consumer Sciences looks at fashion not only from aesthetics – the art of design – but includes textile science, chemistry, material science, supply chain analysis, imports and exports, regulatory compliance and includes the emerging field of sustainability. 
    • Family and Consumer Scientists graduating from Fashion Design and Merchandising programs work for manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers throughout multiple industries. 
    • 51-6099 Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes516099.htm, Median Salary: $37k. Per NAICS data, Textile Mill industry workers have a median salary of $47k, and employment is expected to grow by .8% from 2023-2028.
    • Fashion Designer, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/fashion-designers.htm, Median salary: $79k, employment is expected to increase by 3% from 2022-2032.
    • Women's Clothing Stores is a $81Bn industry employing 412k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 2.2% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $22k.
    • Independent Fashion Design is a $3.3Bn industry employing 40k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 3.4% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $33k.
    • Men's Clothing Stores is a $13Bn industry employing 77k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 1.9% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $29k
    • Family Clothing Stores is a $198Bn industry employing 993k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 2.6% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $22k.
    • Tactical & Service Clothing Manufacturing is a $766m industry employing 5k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to grow by 0.1% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $38k.
    • Children's & Infants' Clothing Stores is a $9.6Bn industry employing 65k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to decrease by 0.7% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $16k.
    • Plus-Size Women's Clothing Stores is a $12Bn industry employing 93k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 0.5% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $18k.
    • Clothing Boutiques is a $32Bn industry employing 298k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 0.9% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $16k.
  • Textile Sciences

    • 51-6099 Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes516099.htm, Median Salary: $37k. Per NAICS data, Textile Mill industry workers have a median salary of $47k, and employment is expected to grow by .8% from 2023-2028.

    • Textile Mills are a $44Bn industry employing 168k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 0.8% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $46k.

    • Commercial Embroidery Services is a $1Bn industry employing 8k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to decrease by 0.4% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $37k.

    • Industrial Hemp Production is a $253m industry employing 37k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 26% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $4k.

    • Piece Goods, Notions & Other Apparel Wholesaling is a $13Bn industry employing 27k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to decrease by 0.5% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $59k.

    • Carpet Mills are a $10Bn industry employing 25k individuals. Employment in this industry is expected to increase by 0.8% from 2024-2029 and median salary is $55k.

This research is ongoing, additional data and statistics will be added in the coming weeks.