Career
Soil and plant scientists
Study soil and plants to help crops and ecosystems thrive.
$78,850
Median pay
+6.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,400
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Science, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $78,850 a year and 1,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Agriculture, GeneralCIP 01.0000
- Agroecology and Sustainable AgricultureCIP 01.0308
- Viticulture and EnologyCIP 01.1004
- Plant Sciences, GeneralCIP 01.1101
- Agronomy and Crop ScienceCIP 01.1102
- Horticultural ScienceCIP 01.1103
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Conservation Scientists$73,010 · +5.3%
- Precision Agriculture Technicians
- Industrial Ecologists
- Microbiologists$87,990 · +6.2%
- Agricultural Engineers$98,590 · +6.9%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.