Occupation salary profile

Soil and Plant Scientists

SOC 19-1013 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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.

National median · BLS
$78,850
▲ +10.42% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$66,306
▼ -0.88% YoY · 359 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$87,720
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
15,730
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Soil and Plant Scientists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 359 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$48,680$53,294
25th$61,660$60,000
Median (50th)$78,850$66,306
75th$103,740$85,250
90th — top pay$138,120$105,206
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $66,306 for Soil and Plant Scientists — 15.9% below the BLS national median of $78,850.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Soil and Plant Scientists

BLS projects employment of soil and plant scientists to grow 6.7% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 1,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
19,900 → 21,300
+1,300 jobs
Projected change
+6.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
3.5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. 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).
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $66,306
Change vs prior year -0.88%
After inflation (CPI-U) -3.89%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 129 35.9% $52,788 $58,656 $65,000
Level II 93 25.9% $60,000 $65,000 $75,323
Level III 71 19.8% $70,000 $85,000 $102,500
Level IV 28 7.8% $100,000 $110,141 $125,750
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Soil and Plant Scientists

The 8 most-filed job titles inside SOC 19-1013, from 359 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Postdoctoral Research Associate 29 8.08% $53,300 $56,120 $60,180 +3%
Research Associate 29 8.08% $57,949 $61,880 $65,500 +4%
Research Scientist 22 6.13% $61,240 $71,734 $85,922 +2.37%
Postdoctoral Scholar 14 3.9% $62,058 $62,826 $71,026 -9.31%
Research Specialist 12 3.34% $55,500 $62,140 $68,596 +5.58%
Postdoctoral Associate 11 3.06% $60,942 $62,232 $67,037 +2.01%
Research Assistant Professor 11 3.06% $72,590 $84,827 $85,000 +17.82%
Postdoctoral Fellow 10 2.79% $57,840 $62,660 $65,975 +9.93%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Soil and Plant Scientists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Learning4.0
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Science4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Complex Problem Solving3.9
  • Writing3.9
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.8
  • Systems Analysis3.5
Top knowledge areas
  • Biology4.4
  • English Language4.0
  • Computers and Electronics3.9
  • Chemistry3.8
  • Mathematics3.8
  • Education and Training3.4
  • Geography3.4
  • Communications and Media3.4
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareAutodesk AutoCADESRI ArcGIS softwareIBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Active Server Pages ASPMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordRSAS3dMapperErosion Productivity Impact Calculator EPICEuropean Soil Erosion Model EUROSEMGAEA Technologies WinSieveGEOEASGeographic information system GIS softwareGeographic information system GIS systems

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What soil and plant scientists 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.
  • 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.
Also called
AgronomistResearch ScientistResearch Soil ScientistScientistArboriculture ResearcherCrop Nutrition ScientistForage PhysiologistHorticulture SpecialistPlant PhysiologistPlant Research Geneticist
More job titles for this occupation (39)
Agricultural SpecialistAgriculturistApiculturistArboreal ScientistArboriculturistArboristBiological Science Technician (Biological Science Tech)BotanistCorn BreederCotton BreederCrop Protection Research AgronomistEntomologistField AgronomistField Research AgronomistField Technology Development AgronomistFloriculturistGrowth SpecialistHorticultural SpecialistHorticulturistHybrid Corn BreederMicrobiology Soil ScientistPlant AnatomistPlant BreederPlant Breeder ScientistPlant PathologistPlant ScientistPomologistPostdoctoral Associate (Postdoc Associate)Precision AgronomistResearch AgronomistResearch PhysiologistScientist PropagatorSoil ExpertSoil Fertility Extension SpecialistSoil SpecialistSoil Technician (Soil Tech)Technical AgronomistViticulturistWholesale Agronomist

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.