Soil and Plant Scientists earn a median of $78,850 per year ($37.91/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 6.7% through 2035, with about 1,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 19-1013
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Soil and Plant Scientist 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: Agronomist, Arboriculture Researcher, Crop Nutrition Scientist, Forage Physiologist, Horticulture Specialist, Plant Physiologist.
Pay
How much do Soil and Plant Scientists make?
Every soil and plant scientist 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 Soil and Plant Scientist 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.
Overall employment of agricultural and food scientists is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Getting in
How to become a Soil and Plant Scientist
Agricultural and food scientists typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in animal science, food science, plant biology, or a related field. Employers may prefer or require a master’s or doctoral degree.
- 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 Soil and Plant Scientist do?
Conduct research in breeding, physiology, production, yield, and management of crops and agricultural plants or trees, shrubs, and nursery stock, their growth in soils, and control of pests; or study the chemical, physical, biological, and mineralogical composition of soils as they relate to plant or crop growth. May classify and map soils and investigate effects of alternative practices on soil and crop productivity.
Agricultural and food scientists research ways to improve the efficiency, quality, and safety of agricultural and food production establishments.
Day-to-day tasks
- Communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops.
- Provide information or recommendations to farmers or other landowners regarding ways in which they can best use land, promote plant growth, or avoid or correct problems such as erosion.
- Conduct experiments to investigate the underlying mechanisms of plant growth and response to the environment.
- Investigate soil problems or poor water quality to determine sources and effects.
- Investigate responses of soils to specific management practices to determine the use capabilities of soils and the effects of alternative practices on soil productivity.
- Develop improved measurement techniques, soil conservation methods, soil sampling devices, or related technology.
- Study ways to improve agricultural sustainability, such as the use of new methods of composting.
- Develop environmentally safe methods or products for controlling or eliminating weeds, crop diseases, or pests.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most agricultural and food scientists work full time.
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.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. 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 Soil and Plant Scientist?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Soil and Plant Scientist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 7 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 3 |
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
- Conventional3.4
- 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 Soil and Plant Scientist
O*NET related occupations
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Architecture and Engineering
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
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
- Soil and Plant Scientist$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 |
| Soil and Plant Scientist | $78,850 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within soil and plant scientist
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Soil and Plant Scientist appears on
Questions
Soil and Plant Scientist: frequently asked questions
How much do Soil and Plant Scientists make?
Soil and Plant Scientists earn a median of $78,850 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 55% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $37.91/hr. The middle half earn between $61,660 and $103,740. The top 10% earn $138,120 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Soil and Plant Scientist?
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 Soil and Plant Scientist 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 Soil and Plant Scientist do?
Agricultural and food scientists research ways to improve the efficiency, quality, and safety of agricultural and food production establishments. A core O*NET task: communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops. 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 Soil and Plant Scientist?
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.