Diagnoses and studies plant diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes, and develops ways to control them. BLS does not publish separate figures for soil and plant scientists; it counts them within soil and plant scientist (SOC 19-1013), whose median pay is $78,850 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 19-1013
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Plant Pathologist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $78,850a year, or $37.91/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $49KTop 10% $138K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.7%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,40019,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202519.9K
- Projected 203521.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 19.9K Projected 2035 21.3K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Certificate4.8%
- Associate's4.8%
- Bachelor's23.8%
- Post-bacc certificate4.8%
- Master's28.6%
- Doctorate19.1%
Highest education held by soil and plant scientists Segment Value Certificate 4.8% Associate's 4.8% Bachelor's 23.8% Post-bacc certificate 4.8% Master's 28.6% Doctorate 19.1%
Also advertised as: Plant Disease Specialist, Plant Disease Diagnostician, Phytopathologist, Crop Pathologist, Extension Plant Pathologist.
Pay
How much do Soil and Plant Scientists make?
Every plant pathologist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$78,850
Middle half earn $61,660 to $103,740
- 10th
- $48,680
- 25th
- $61,660
- 75th
- $103,740
- 90th
- $138,120
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $48,680 |
| 25th | $61,660 |
| Median | $78,850 |
| 75th | $103,740 |
| 90th | $138,120 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $78,850
- Median hourly wage
- $37.91/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $87,720
- People employed
- 15,730
Versus all US occupations
At $78,850, Soil and Plant Scientists earn 55% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $27,870 a year.
Versus life, physical, and social science occupations
Inside the Life, Physical, and Social Science group, where the middle occupation pays $82,220, this is 4% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $138,120 or more while the bottom 10% earn $48,680, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 58% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($107,140), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $109,740 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Soil and Plant Scientists 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $107,140 | $97,488 | 60 |
| 2Florida | $103,240 | $99,832 | 270 |
| 3Alaska | $100,320 | $98,008 | 30 |
| 4Iowa | $96,310 | $109,740 | 960 |
| 5Idaho | $95,150 | $99,640 | 540 |
| 6New Jersey | $91,970 | $84,527 | 130 |
| 7California | $91,930 | $83,029 | 1,440 |
| 8Oregon | $85,150 | $82,381 | 620 |
| 9Maryland | $85,020 | $81,003 | 200 |
| 10Hawaii | $84,390 | $76,752 | 60 |
Job outlook
Is Plant Pathologist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil and Plant Scientists | +6.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Soil and Plant Scientists to change 6.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,400 openings are projected each year, 7.0% of the 19,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Plant Pathologist
A bachelor's degree in plant science, biology, microbiology or agronomy is the starting point. Many lab, diagnostic and industry roles require a master's, and research and extension faculty positions require a PhD in plant pathology.
The American Phytopathological Society is the main professional body, with student programs, a career center and diagnostic resources. The National Plant Diagnostic Network connects university diagnostic labs and offers training. Research assistant jobs in university labs and summer internships with seed and crop protection companies are common entry points. Molecular biology lab skills are increasingly important.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable 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 soil and plant scientists.
- Master's Degree28.6%
- Bachelor's Degree23.8%
- Doctoral Degree19.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate4.8%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree4.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 28.6% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 23.8% |
| Doctoral Degree | 19.1% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 4.8% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 4.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Plant Pathologist do?
Plant pathologists are the doctors of the plant world. They identify the fungi, bacteria, viruses, oomycetes and nematodes that cause crop and tree diseases, study how those pathogens spread, and develop control strategies, from resistant varieties and crop rotation to targeted fungicide timing.
Diagnosticians in university and state plant disease clinics examine samples sent by growers, using microscopy, culture and molecular tests to reach a diagnosis. Extension pathologists advise farmers on outbreaks. Industry pathologists at seed and crop protection companies screen breeding lines for resistance and test new products, and federal pathologists at USDA guard against invasive pathogens arriving at ports.
Day-to-day tasks
- Diagnose plant diseases from field and grower samples
- Isolate and culture plant pathogens in the laboratory
- Run molecular tests to identify pathogens
- Screen crop varieties for disease resistance
- Design and run field trials of disease control methods
- Advise growers on disease management
- Monitor for invasive or emerging plant pathogens
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Plant pathologists work in laboratories, greenhouses and offices, with field visits to farms, orchards and research plots. Growing season brings busy periods of sampling and diagnosis. Industry and extension roles involve regional travel. Lab work involves microscopes, growth chambers and sterile technique. Diagnosticians handle a steady stream of samples during the growing season, and extension roles add grower meetings and field days.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
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 Comprehension4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Science4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Writing3.9
- Mathematics3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Science | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Mathematics | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Systems Analysis3.5
- Systems Evaluation3.5
- Instructing3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Operations Analysis3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.5 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.5 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Categorization or classification software
- Map creation 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 Plant Pathologist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IRC) built on O*NET's Soil and Plant Scientist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Plant Pathologist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 7 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Investigative6.7
- Realistic6.4
- Conventional4.0
- Artistic2.1
- Enterprising1.7
- Social1.7
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 Plant Pathologist
O*NET related occupations
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Architecture and Engineering
More life, physical, and social science careers
Median annual pay, with soil and plant scientists highlighted
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist$193,950
- Physicist$172,250
- Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Chemist$91,240
- Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health$82,220
- Plant Pathologist$78,850
- Conservation Scientist$73,010
- Chemical Technician$60,390
- Biological Technician$57,510
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 |
| Physicist | $172,250 |
| Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 |
| Chemist | $91,240 |
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health | $82,220 |
| Plant Pathologist | $78,850 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Plant Pathologist appears on
Questions
Plant Pathologist: frequently asked questions
How much do Soil and Plant Scientists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for soil and plant scientists. It counts them within soil and plant scientist, whose median pay is $78,850 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $61,660 and $103,740, and the top 10% earn $138,120 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Plant Pathologist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Soil and Plant Scientists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 28.6% hold master's degree.
Is Plant Pathologist a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.7% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Plant Pathologist do?
Plant pathologists are the doctors of the plant world. A typical task: diagnose plant diseases from field and grower samples. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Computer aided design CAD software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Soil and Plant Scientists the most?
The highest state medians for Soil and Plant Scientists are District of Columbia ($107,140), Florida ($103,240), Alaska ($100,320) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $109,740.
What personality type suits a Plant Pathologist?
O*NET scores Soil and Plant Scientists highest on the Investigative, Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTP, INTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.