Best degree programs for Soil and Plant Scientists, ranked by enrollment
18 college programs and 314 schools train Soil and Plant Scientists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $78,850 median wage, 15,730 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
18 college programs at 314 schools train soil and plant scientists, graduating 8,707 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Agriculture, General. The job pays a median of $78,850 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About soil and plant scientists
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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
18 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 01.0000 | 2,983 | 34.3% | 143 | $39,350 | $20,340 |
| 2 | Agronomy and Crop Sciencemain feeder CIP 01.1102 | 1,367 | 15.7% | 65 | $42,861 | $20,500 |
| 3 | Horticultural Sciencemain feeder CIP 01.1103 | 875 | 10.0% | 49 | $42,861 | $20,500 |
| 4 | CIP 01.0308 | 767 | 8.8% | 77 | $36,083 | $17,395 |
| 5 | Plant Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 01.1101 | 753 | 8.6% | 43 | $42,861 | $20,500 |
| 6 | Botany/Plant Biologymain feeder CIP 26.0301 | 543 | 6.2% | 39 | $33,009 | $21,975 |
| 7 | Soil Science and Agronomy, Generalmain feeder CIP 01.1201 | 367 | 4.2% | 28 | $50,408 | $22,424 |
| 8 | CIP 01.1004 | 239 | 2.7% | 27 | $51,883 | $21,000 |
| 9 | CIP 01.1105 | 196 | 2.3% | 17 | $42,861 | $20,500 |
| 10 | Plant Pathology/Phytopathologymain feeder CIP 26.0305 | 176 | 2.0% | 25 | $33,009 | $21,975 |
| 11 | Range Science and Managementmain feeder CIP 01.1106 | 137 | 1.6% | 19 | $42,861 | $20,500 |
| 12 | Plant Sciences, Othermain feeder CIP 01.1199 | 104 | 1.2% | 7 | $42,861 | $20,500 |
| 13 | Botany/Plant Biology, Othermain feeder CIP 26.0399 | 61 | 0.7% | 5 | $33,009 | $21,975 |
| 14 | Soil Sciences, Othermain feeder CIP 01.1299 | 52 | 0.6% | 6 | $50,408 | $22,424 |
| 15 | CIP 01.1104 | 42 | 0.5% | 6 | $42,861 | $20,500 |
| 16 | Soil Chemistry and Physicsmain feeder CIP 01.1202 | 25 | 0.3% | 1 | $50,408 | $22,424 |
| 17 | Plant Molecular Biologymain feeder CIP 26.0308 | 13 | 0.1% | 2 | $33,009 | $21,975 |
| 18 | Plant Physiologymain feeder CIP 26.0307 | 7 | 0.1% | 2 | $33,009 | $21,975 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What soil and plant scientists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | — | 500 | 0.35× | 27 | 942 |
| California | $91,930 | 1,440 | 0.78× | 25 | 795 |
| Illinois | $79,490 | 820 | 1.33× | 15 | 381 |
| North Carolina | $76,330 | 570 | 1.14× | 10 | 370 |
| Oklahoma | $63,910 | 100 | 0.60× | 12 | 337 |
| Floridamoderate | $103,240 | 270 | 0.27× | 3 | 309 |
| Missouri | $76,080 | 220 | 0.74× | 12 | 305 |
| Oregon | $85,150 | 620 | 3.12× | 7 | 296 |
| Tennessee | $61,950 | 370 | 1.13× | 8 | 279 |
| Iowa | $96,310 | 960 | 6.07× | 9 | 241 |
| Nebraska | $77,500 | 640 | 6.18× | 5 | 216 |
| New York | $77,800 | 260 | 0.26× | 7 | 215 |
| Indianamoderate | $80,030 | 440 | 1.36× | 4 | 211 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,550 | 200 | 0.33× | 8 | 210 |
| Wisconsin | $66,200 | 680 | 2.27× | 11 | 201 |
| Coloradomoderate | $75,430 | 460 | 1.57× | 3 | 196 |
| Ohio | $56,820 | 320 | 0.58× | 15 | 194 |
| Kansas | $65,670 | 380 | 2.64× | 6 | 190 |
| Louisianamoderate | $60,200 | 170 | 0.88× | 4 | 160 |
| Virginiamoderate | $73,920 | 140 | 0.33× | 3 | 156 |
| Georgia | $65,170 | 210 | 0.43× | 9 | 152 |
| South Dakotalimited | $73,590 | 480 | 10.32× | 2 | 152 |
| Mississippi | $72,690 | 100 | 0.81× | 8 | 151 |
| Minnesota | $79,610 | 750 | 2.50× | 9 | 136 |
| Alabamalimited | $63,010 | 110 | 0.52× | 1 | 115 |
| Massachusettsmoderate | $69,880 | — | — | 4 | 115 |
| Washington | $79,970 | 520 | 1.43× | 5 | 111 |
| Michiganmoderate | $65,390 | 570 | 1.28× | 4 | 107 |
| Arizona | $83,840 | 270 | 0.83× | 7 | 103 |
| Kentuckymoderate | $67,340 | 140 | 0.67× | 4 | 103 |
| Utahmoderate | $59,900 | 90 | 0.50× | 4 | 101 |
| North Dakota | $65,320 | 410 | 9.50× | 5 | 99 |
| Arkansas | — | 110 | 0.85× | 6 | 85 |
| Hawaiimoderate | $84,390 | 60 | 0.99× | 3 | 77 |
| South Carolinamoderate | $78,850 | 90 | 0.40× | 4 | 69 |
| Wyoming | $55,680 | 50 | 1.82× | 6 | 68 |
| Vermontlimited | $58,220 | — | — | 2 | 67 |
| Montanamoderate | $73,920 | 230 | 4.43× | 4 | 63 |
| New Mexicomoderate | $69,480 | 90 | 1.01× | 4 | 62 |
| Connecticutmoderate | $67,630 | 200 | 1.17× | 3 | 61 |
| Delawarelimited | $65,310 | 60 | 1.21× | 2 | 58 |
| New Jersey | $91,970 | 130 | 0.30× | 5 | 57 |
| Marylandlimited | $85,020 | 200 | 0.70× | 2 | 54 |
| Idahomoderate | $95,150 | 540 | 6.19× | 3 | 51 |
| Mainemoderate | $78,250 | 30 | 0.51× | 3 | 33 |
| Nevadalimited | $71,450 | 90 | 0.56× | 1 | 25 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills
- Science4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Writing3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Monitoring3.3
Knowledge areas
- Biology4.4
- English Language4.0
- Computers and Electronics3.9
- Chemistry3.8
- Mathematics3.8
- Education and Training3.4
Abilities
- Information Ordering4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Inductive Reasoning4.0
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Category Flexibility4.0
- Oral Expression4.0
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.6
- Analyzing Data or Information4.5
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.3
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.3
- Processing Information4.3
- Documenting/Recording Information4.2
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Soil
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 19 majors mapped to Soil and Plant Scientists18 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 01.0000Agriculture, General
- 01.0308Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture
- 01.1004Viticulture and Enology
- 01.1101Plant Sciences, General
- 01.1102Agronomy and Crop Science
- 01.1103Horticultural Science
- 01.1104Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding
- 01.1105Plant Protection and Integrated Pest Management
- 01.1106Range Science and Management
- 01.1199Plant Sciences, Other
- 01.1201Soil Science and Agronomy, General
- 01.1202Soil Chemistry and Physics
- 01.1203Soil Microbiology(no graduates reported)
- 01.1299Soil Sciences, Other
- 26.0301Botany/Plant Biology
- 26.0305Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
- 26.0307Plant Physiology
- 26.0308Plant Molecular Biology
- 26.0399Botany/Plant Biology, Other
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Soil?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Agriculture, General, which awarded 2,983 degrees in 2024-25, 34.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Soil?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 18 programs to this occupation. The largest are Plant Sciences, Agriculture, Botany/Plant Biology, Agricultural Production Operations, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 8,707 people a year.
How much do soil and plant scientists earn?+
The median is $78,850 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $48,680 at the 10th percentile to $138,120 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for soil and plant scientists growing?+
BLS projects a +5.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 1,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
314 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 18 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do soil and plant scientists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Scientist, Agronomist, Research Scientist, Research Soil Scientist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-1013.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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