How long does the training take?

Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do soil and plant scientists make?

The US median is $78,850 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

302 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Soil and plant scientists: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Science · SOC 19-1013

$78,850US median pay, 2025

+6.7%Projected growth, 2025–35

1,400Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Bachelor's degree
Work in: soil and plant scientists

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Agriculture, General	CIP 01.0000	146
Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture	CIP 01.0308	72
Agronomy and Crop Science	CIP 01.1102	60
Horticultural Science	CIP 01.1103	51
Plant Sciences, General	CIP 01.1101	44
Botany/Plant Biology	CIP 26.0301	38
Soil Science and Agronomy, General	CIP 01.1201	29
Viticulture and Enology	CIP 01.1004	26
Plant Pathology/Phytopathology	CIP 26.0305	25
Range Science and Management	CIP 01.1106	23
Plant Protection and Integrated Pest Management	CIP 01.1105	15
Plant Sciences, Other	CIP 01.1199	8
Soil Sciences, Other	CIP 01.1299	6
Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding	CIP 01.1104	5
Botany/Plant Biology, Other	CIP 26.0399	5
Plant Molecular Biology	CIP 26.0308	3
Plant Physiology	CIP 26.0307	2
Soil Chemistry and Physics	CIP 01.1202	1
Soil Microbiology	CIP 01.1203	0

See the 302 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about four years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do soil and plant scientists make?: The US median is $78,850 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 302 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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