Soil and Plant Scientists Career, Salary and Skills
Soil and Plant Scientists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $78,850 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 15,730. Wage data is published for 129 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
19-1013.00
Job zone
5
Typical education
Master's Degree
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$78,850
Hourly median
$37.91
Employment
15,730
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Learning | 4.00 | 4.50 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 5.00 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.62 |
| Science | 4.00 | 4.88 |
| Writing | 3.88 | 4.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.88 | 4.25 |
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.75 | 4.25 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.50 | 3.88 |
Typical tasks
- Develop methods of conserving or managing soil that can be applied by farmers or forestry companies.
- 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 develop new or improved varieties of field crops, focusing on characteristics such as yield, quality, disease resistance, nutritional value, or adaptation to specific soils or climates.
- 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.
- Conduct experiments to investigate the underlying mechanisms of plant growth and response to the environment.
- Identify degraded or contaminated soils and develop plans to improve their chemical, biological, or physical characteristics.
- Communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops.
Technology
- 3dMapper
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator EPIC
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- European Soil Erosion Model EUROSEM
- GAEA Technologies WinSieve
- GEOEAS
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- GSLIB
- Gstat
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- LandSerf
- Leica Geosystems ERDAS IMAGINE
Soil and Plant Scientists salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in CAMedian $91,930 · Employment 1,440
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in IAMedian $96,310 · Employment 960
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in ILMedian $79,490 · Employment 820
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in MNMedian $79,610 · Employment 750
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in WIMedian $66,200 · Employment 680
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in NEMedian $77,500 · Employment 640
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in ORMedian $85,150 · Employment 620
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in MIMedian $65,390 · Employment 570
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in NCMedian $76,330 · Employment 570
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in IDMedian $95,150 · Employment 540
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in WAMedian $79,970 · Employment 520
- Soil and Plant Scientists Salary in SDMedian $73,590 · Employment 480
Related careers
- ForestersNational median $76,400
- Food Scientists and TechnologistsNational median $88,720
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthNational median $55,090
- Biological TechniciansNational median $57,510
- Environmental Restoration PlannersNational median $82,220
- Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural ManagersNational median $89,900
- Forest and Conservation TechniciansNational median $54,560
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and GreenhouseNational median $35,660
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.