Soil and Plant Scientists earn $78,850 nationally at the median. The middle 50% of workers fall between $61,660 and $103,740. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and experience.
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a soil and plant scientists: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Agricultural Production Operations and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
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.
Also known as:
Most soil and plant scientists take home around $78,850 a year, above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $61,660 and $103,740, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. A solid living in most parts of the country. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
Above the national median for college graduates.
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
Moderate pressure. Regular deadlines exist but are generally manageable with experience.
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +6.7%, meaning it is growing at about the same pace as everything else, so expect steady demand. Around 1,400 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
About as fast as average.
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
The five states below employ the most Soil and Plant Scientists professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $78,850 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,440 | $91,930 | +16.6% |
| 2 | Iowa | 960 | $96,310 | +22.1% |
| 3 | Illinois | 820 | $79,490 | +0.8% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 750 | $79,610 | +1.0% |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 680 | $66,200 | -16.0% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
To get hired here you will usually need a bachelor's degree. The 6 programs below are the most common routes in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
The next most common path is a Plant Sciences program and the colleges offering it, which suits a different kind of applicant.
Extensive education (usually a master's or doctoral degree) plus years of field experience is required to qualify for most positions.
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agricultural Production Operations | 3,522 | $53,588 | 283 |
| 2 | Plant Sciences | 3,307 | $56,567 | 157 |
| 3 | Agriculture | 3,256 | $53,676 | 188 |
| 4 | Food Science and Technology | 2,181 | $70,873 | 162 |
| 5 | Botany | 743 | $49,245 | 80 |
| 6 | Soil Sciences | 439 | $62,122 | 41 |
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | 93 | $13,481 | $92,446 |
| 2 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 3 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | 91 | $13,138 | $83,648 |
| 4 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA | 90 | $14,741 | $80,838 |
| 5 | Victor Valley College Victorville, CA | 90 | $1,947 | $36,119 |
| 6 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | 89 | $14,355 | $81,054 |
Once you've sized up Soil and Plant Scientists, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
See if the degree that leads to Soil and Plant Scientists pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Strong earnings and growing demand make Soil and Plant Scientists a compelling path. The 3 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
Air traffic controllers earn more than the typical bachelor's-degree career, with an associate degree. The occupations that pay six figures without four years of college.
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
Only 106 of 393 federal careers both pay a median above $80,000 and grow faster than the typical job. Here is the rare set that clears both bars.
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Scout uses AI and can make mistakes. Verify important numbers on the page.
