SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 19-1013.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $48,680 | $4,057 | $936 | $23.41 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $61,660 | $5,138 | $1,186 | $29.65 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $78,850 | $6,571 | $1,516 | $37.91 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $103,740 | $8,645 | $1,995 | $49.88 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $138,120 | $11,510 | $2,656 | $66.40 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Soil and Plant Scientists is $78,850, which is 55% higher. Among the 48 occupations of the field Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks number 29 by median pay. With 15,730 jobs, it makes up about 1.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($87,720) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Soil and Plant Scientists pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($107,140), Florida ($103,240) and Alaska ($100,320). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($38,980), Wyoming ($55,680) and Ohio ($56,820). The most jobs were in California (1,440), Iowa (960) and Illinois (820). The occupation is most concentrated in South Dakota, where its share of all jobs is 10.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 60 | $107,140 | $110,880 | $51.51 |
| Florida | 270 | $103,240 | $98,800 | $49.64 |
| Alaska | 30 | $100,320 | $102,230 | $48.23 |
| Iowa | 960 | $96,310 | $104,430 | $46.30 |
| Idaho | 540 | $95,150 | $96,080 | $45.75 |
| New Jersey | 130 | $91,970 | $91,400 | $44.22 |
| California | 1,440 | $91,930 | $99,260 | $44.20 |
| Oregon | 620 | $85,150 | $89,040 | $40.94 |
| Maryland | 200 | $85,020 | $97,590 | $40.87 |
| Hawaii | 60 | $84,390 | $89,530 | $40.57 |
| Arizona | 270 | $83,840 | $81,680 | $40.31 |
| Indiana | 440 | $80,030 | $92,030 | $38.48 |
| Washington | 520 | $79,970 | $89,180 | $38.45 |
| Minnesota | 750 | $79,610 | $88,200 | $38.28 |
| Illinois | 820 | $79,490 | $89,520 | $38.21 |
| South Carolina | 90 | $78,850 | $77,940 | $37.91 |
| Maine | 30 | $78,250 | $84,180 | $37.62 |
| New York | 260 | $77,800 | $89,490 | $37.41 |
| Nebraska | 640 | $77,500 | $76,950 | $37.26 |
| North Carolina | 570 | $76,330 | $85,790 | $36.70 |
| Missouri | 220 | $76,080 | $83,970 | $36.58 |
| Colorado | 460 | $75,430 | $107,330 | $36.26 |
| Montana | 230 | $73,920 | $77,540 | $35.54 |
| Virginia | 140 | $73,920 | $78,520 | $35.54 |
| South Dakota | 480 | $73,590 | $79,240 | $35.38 |
| Mississippi | 100 | $72,690 | $82,750 | $34.95 |
| Nevada | 90 | $71,450 | $76,110 | $34.35 |
| Pennsylvania | 200 | $70,550 | $78,720 | $33.92 |
| Massachusetts | not published | $69,880 | $77,160 | $33.59 |
| New Mexico | 90 | $69,480 | $76,290 | $33.41 |
| Connecticut | 200 | $67,630 | $85,750 | $32.52 |
| Kentucky | 140 | $67,340 | $76,110 | $32.38 |
| Wisconsin | 680 | $66,200 | $68,620 | $31.83 |
| Kansas | 380 | $65,670 | $76,490 | $31.57 |
| Michigan | 570 | $65,390 | $75,210 | $31.44 |
| North Dakota | 410 | $65,320 | $77,170 | $31.41 |
| Delaware | 60 | $65,310 | $77,740 | $31.40 |
| Georgia | 210 | $65,170 | $77,100 | $31.33 |
| Oklahoma | 100 | $63,910 | $64,520 | $30.72 |
| Alabama | 110 | $63,010 | $76,640 | $30.29 |
| Tennessee | 370 | $61,950 | $72,540 | $29.78 |
| Louisiana | 170 | $60,200 | $67,160 | $28.94 |
| Utah | 90 | $59,900 | $67,370 | $28.80 |
| Vermont | not published | $58,220 | $66,690 | $27.99 |
| Ohio | 320 | $56,820 | $65,870 | $27.32 |
| Wyoming | 50 | $55,680 | $69,430 | $26.77 |
| Puerto Rico | 140 | $38,980 | $45,140 | $18.74 |
| Arkansas | 110 | not published | not published | not published |
| Texas | 500 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Microbiologists$87,990 a year
- Epidemiologists$87,220 a year
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,220 a year
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$76,780 a year
- Historians$76,750 a year
- Foresters$76,400 a year
Common questions
How much do Soil and Plant Scientists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $78,850 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48,680 and the highest-paid 10% more than $138,120.
How many people work as Soil and Plant Scientists?
About 15,730 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.