19 Series · SOC 19-1013
Soil and Plant Scientists Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $78,850
- Median / year
- +10.4%
- 2024→2025
- $138,120
- Top 10% earn
- +5.4%
- Growth '24–'34
- 15,730
- Estimated US jobs
Soil and Plant Scientists earn a median of $78,850 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $78,850, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $48,680 (10th percentile) to $138,120 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 15,730 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is District of Columbia ($107,140).
The pay verdict
Soil and Plant Scientists earn a median of $78,850, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 72% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks #29 of 48 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 5.4% by 2034.
- $78,850
- Median annual wage
- Top 28%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #29 of 48
- in Life, Physical, and Social Science
- 2.8×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $107,140. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Soil and Plant Scientists moved from $63,200 in May 2019 to $78,850 in May 2025 (+24.8%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Soil and Plant Scientists sits +0.3 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Soil and Plant Scientists (SOC 19-1013) has a national median of $78,850 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $48,680 to $138,120, and the published mean is $87,720. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 15,730 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 47 state or territory areas and 112 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $71,410 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $78,850 in May 2025, a rise of $7,440 (+10.4%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +5.4% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as faster than average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 1,700 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $107,140, which is +36% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA at $132,290. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$78,850
per year
Median Hourly
$37.91/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$87,720
average
Employment
15,730
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Soil and Plant Scientists pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$78,850 Top 28% higher than 72% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 (this entry) | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$78,850 · 72nd percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 19-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Soil and Plant Scientists; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Medical Scientists, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $103410
- Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.5%, Median annual wage $90150
- Environmental Scient…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $82220
- Chemists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.9%, Median annual wage $91240
- Clinical and Counsel…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.2%, Median annual wage $100580
- Life, Physical, and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $62280
- Biological Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $57510
- School Psychologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $95990
- Chemical Technicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $60390
- Biological Scientist…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.2%, Median annual wage $98920
- Urban and Regional P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $89320
- Social Scientists an…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.7%, Median annual wage $101110
- Environmental Scienc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $55090
- Biochemists and Biop…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.8%, Median annual wage $127410
- Social Science Resea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $61990
- Occupational Health …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.5%, Median annual wage $61560
- Forest and Conservat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.2%, Median annual wage $54560
- Conservation Scienti…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $73010
- Geoscientists, Excep…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.2%, Median annual wage $101920
- Physical Scientists,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $122570
- Physicists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $172250
- Forensic Science Tec…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 12.8%, Median annual wage $72060
- Microbiologists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $87990
- Psychologists, All O…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $110840
- Soil and Plant Scientists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.4%, Median annual wage $78850
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+5.4%
Faster than average
Annual Openings
1,700
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+1,100
20,700 (2024) → 21,800 (2034)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
1.5/100K
Injury Rate
0.7/100
Danger Index
3.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Soil and Plant Scientists roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops.
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Develop new or improved methods or products for controlling or eliminating weeds, crop diseases, or insect pests.
- ▸ Provide advice regarding the development of regulatory standards for land reclamation or soil conservation.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Soil and Plant Scientists pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $60,050 |
| 2016 | $62,300 |
| 2017 | $62,430 |
| 2018 | $63,950 |
| 2019 | $63,200 |
| 2020 | $66,120 |
| 2021 | $66,750 |
| 2022 | $65,730 |
| 2023 | $68,240 |
| 2024 | $71,410 |
| 2025 | $78,850 |
2015 median
$60,050
2025 median
$78,850
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$15,650 (+24.8%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+3.8%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $60,050 | First banked release | 14,610 |
| May 2016 | $62,300 | +3.7% | 14,690 |
| May 2017 | $62,430 | +0.2% | 14,180 |
| May 2018 | $63,950 | +2.4% | 15,010 |
| May 2019 | $63,200 | Classification break | 14,150 |
| May 2020 | $66,120 | +4.6% | 13,950 |
| May 2021 | $66,750 | +1.0% | 15,610 |
| May 2022 | $65,730 | -1.5% | 16,010 |
| May 2023 | $68,240 | +3.8% | 15,800 |
| May 2024 | $71,410 | +4.6% | 16,600 |
| May 2025 | $78,850 | +10.4% | 15,730 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $60,050 in May 2015 to $78,850 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.8% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 14,150 in May 2019 to 15,730 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 47 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $107,140 | +36% above national |
| 2 | Florida | $103,240 | +31% above national |
| 3 | Alaska | $100,320 | +27% above national |
| 4 | Iowa | $96,310 | +22% above national |
| 5 | Idaho | $95,150 | +21% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $91,970 | +17% above national |
| 7 | California | $91,930 | +17% above national |
| 8 | Oregon | $85,150 | +8% above national |
| 9 | Maryland | $85,020 | +8% above national |
| 10 | Hawaii | $84,390 | +7% above national |
| 11 | Arizona | $83,840 | +6% above national |
| 12 | Indiana | $80,030 | +1% above national |
| 13 | Washington | $79,970 | +1% above national |
| 14 | Minnesota | $79,610 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Illinois | $79,490 | +1% above national |
| 16 | South Carolina | $78,850 | same as national |
| 17 | Maine | $78,250 | 1% below national |
| 18 | New York | $77,800 | 1% below national |
| 19 | Nebraska | $77,500 | 2% below national |
| 20 | North Carolina | $76,330 | 3% below national |
| 21 | Missouri | $76,080 | 4% below national |
| 22 | Colorado | $75,430 | 4% below national |
| 23 | Montana | $73,920 | 6% below national |
| 24 | Virginia | $73,920 | 6% below national |
| 25 | South Dakota | $73,590 | 7% below national |
| 26 | Mississippi | $72,690 | 8% below national |
| 27 | Nevada | $71,450 | 9% below national |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $70,550 | 11% below national |
| 29 | Massachusetts | $69,880 | 11% below national |
| 30 | New Mexico | $69,480 | 12% below national |
| 31 | Connecticut | $67,630 | 14% below national |
| 32 | Kentucky | $67,340 | 15% below national |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $66,200 | 16% below national |
| 34 | Kansas | $65,670 | 17% below national |
| 35 | Michigan | $65,390 | 17% below national |
| 36 | North Dakota | $65,320 | 17% below national |
| 37 | Delaware | $65,310 | 17% below national |
| 38 | Georgia | $65,170 | 17% below national |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $63,910 | 19% below national |
| 40 | Alabama | $63,010 | 20% below national |
| 41 | Tennessee | $61,950 | 21% below national |
| 42 | Louisiana | $60,200 | 24% below national |
| 43 | Utah | $59,900 | 24% below national |
| 44 | Vermont | $58,220 | 26% below national |
| 45 | Ohio | $56,820 | 28% below national |
| 46 | Wyoming | $55,680 | 29% below national |
| 47 | Puerto Rico | $38,980 | 51% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 82 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $132,290 | +68% above national |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $116,660 | +48% above national |
| 3 | Salinas, CA | $115,910 | +47% above national |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $108,200 | +37% above national |
| 5 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $106,410 | +35% above national |
| 6 | Napa, CA | $104,120 | +32% above national |
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $103,740 | +32% above national |
| 8 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $101,660 | +29% above national |
| 9 | Fresno, CA | $100,050 | +27% above national |
| 10 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $99,110 | +26% above national |
| 11 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $98,340 | +25% above national |
| 12 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $96,480 | +22% above national |
| 13 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $95,870 | +22% above national |
| 14 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $94,980 | +20% above national |
| 15 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $94,940 | +20% above national |
| 16 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $94,900 | +20% above national |
| 17 | Salem, OR | $93,620 | +19% above national |
| 18 | Boise City, ID | $90,610 | +15% above national |
| 19 | New Haven, CT | $87,110 | +10% above national |
| 20 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $86,570 | +10% above national |
| 21 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $86,380 | +10% above national |
| 22 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $86,330 | +9% above national |
| 23 | Bismarck, ND | $86,110 | +9% above national |
| 24 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $84,740 | +7% above national |
| 25 | Iowa City, IA | $84,360 | +7% above national |
| 26 | Idaho Falls, ID | $83,780 | +6% above national |
| 27 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $83,390 | +6% above national |
| 28 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $83,370 | +6% above national |
| 29 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $82,510 | +5% above national |
| 30 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $82,490 | +5% above national |
| 31 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82,490 | +5% above national |
| 32 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $82,110 | +4% above national |
| 33 | Modesto, CA | $81,570 | +3% above national |
| 34 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $81,570 | +3% above national |
| 35 | Corvallis, OR | $81,420 | +3% above national |
| 36 | Missoula, MT | $81,350 | +3% above national |
| 37 | Omaha, NE-IA | $81,300 | +3% above national |
| 38 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $80,360 | +2% above national |
| 39 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $80,030 | +1% above national |
| 40 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $79,610 | +1% above national |
| 41 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $78,870 | same as national |
| 42 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $78,020 | 1% below national |
| 43 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $77,090 | 2% below national |
| 44 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $76,790 | 3% below national |
| 45 | Las Cruces, NM | $76,400 | 3% below national |
| 46 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $76,330 | 3% below national |
| 47 | Wichita, KS | $74,440 | 6% below national |
| 48 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $74,280 | 6% below national |
| 49 | Richmond, VA | $73,920 | 6% below national |
| 50 | Madison, WI | $73,510 | 7% below national |
| 51 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $73,320 | 7% below national |
| 52 | Rapid City, SD | $73,310 | 7% below national |
| 53 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $72,750 | 8% below national |
| 54 | Reno, NV | $70,450 | 11% below national |
| 55 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $69,880 | 11% below national |
| 56 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $67,340 | 15% below national |
| 57 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $67,330 | 15% below national |
| 58 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $66,450 | 16% below national |
| 59 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $66,200 | 16% below national |
| 60 | Manhattan, KS | $66,100 | 16% below national |
| 61 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $65,390 | 17% below national |
| 62 | Fargo, ND-MN | $65,320 | 17% below national |
| 63 | Appleton, WI | $65,290 | 17% below national |
| 64 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $65,190 | 17% below national |
| 65 | Ames, IA | $65,080 | 17% below national |
| 66 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | $64,460 | 18% below national |
| 67 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $64,070 | 19% below national |
| 68 | Bozeman, MT | $64,010 | 19% below national |
| 69 | Lincoln, NE | $63,760 | 19% below national |
| 70 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $61,840 | 22% below national |
| 71 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $61,610 | 22% below national |
| 72 | Columbus, OH | $60,970 | 23% below national |
| 73 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $59,900 | 24% below national |
| 74 | Cleveland, OH | $58,220 | 26% below national |
| 75 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $57,840 | 27% below national |
| 76 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $57,160 | 28% below national |
| 77 | Green Bay, WI | $56,770 | 28% below national |
| 78 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $56,470 | 28% below national |
| 79 | Knoxville, TN | $51,110 | 35% below national |
| 80 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $50,160 | 36% below national |
| 81 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $38,200 | 52% below national |
| 82 | Tulsa, OK | $37,830 | 52% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 19 (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Agricultural Technicians
SOC 19-4012
Animal Scientists
SOC 19-1011
Anthropologists and Archeologists
SOC 19-3091
Astronomers
SOC 19-2011
Atmospheric and Space Scientists
SOC 19-2021
Showing 5 of 47 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($78,850 here) and reported employment (15,730 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Soil and Plant Scientists make? ▼
Where does Soil and Plant Scientists pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Soil and Plant Scientists the most? ▼
What education do Soil and Plant Scientists need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Soil and Plant Scientists? ▼
Is Soil and Plant Scientists a good career? ▼
How does Soil and Plant Scientists pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Soil and Plant Scientists? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Soil and Plant Scientists pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $103,740/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $107,140/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.