BLS metro-level wage data places Soil and Plant Scientists pay in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN at a median of $80,030 per year ($38.48/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $78,850, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pays +1% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 110 soil and plant scientistss are employed across the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood MSA in SOC 19-1013.

The Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pay distribution spans from $46,870 at the 10th percentile to $175,640 at the 90th — a 3.7× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $72,710 and the 75th at $130,400, so half of Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood-based soil and plant scientistss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide IN data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.