How much do soil scientists make in 2026?
Soil scientists are reported in SOC 19-1013, soil and plant scientists, which BLS OEWS May 2025 puts at a national median of $78,850 a year, or $37.91 an hour, with a P10 to P90 range of $48,680 to $138,120 across 15,730 workers. This is a close match, and soil science within that code covers several distinct employment markets. Federal and state agencies employ soil scientists for survey, classification, conservation planning and wetland determination, with structured pay scales and strong benefits that a private-sector comparison of base salary alone tends to undersell. Environmental consultancies employ them for contamination assessment, remediation design and land development due diligence, where billable structures and project pressure raise both pay and workload. Universities employ them in research and extension. The newest market is soil carbon and ecosystem services, where measurement, verification and modelling work has grown quickly alongside agricultural carbon programmes, and where quantitative skills command a premium. Professional soil scientist licensure exists in a number of states and matters for certain regulatory work. BLS projects 5.4% growth through 2034 with roughly 1,700 openings a year. → Full soil scientist career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $78,850 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Soil Scientists earn a national median $78,850/yr ($37.91/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-1013); the P10 to P90 range is $48,680 to $138,120.
- Soil scientists share this code with agronomists and plant scientists, and their work spans government survey and conservation, environmental consulting, research and the newer carbon measurement market.
- Several states licence professional soil scientists, and that licensure matters for regulatory work such as wetland determinations and on-site wastewater evaluations.
- Soil carbon and ecosystem services measurement is the fastest-growing niche, and it rewards quantitative and modelling skill more than traditional survey work did.
US Soil Scientist Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do soil scientists earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 19-1013; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 19-1013, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a soil scientist earn at each career stage?
Soil science pay follows employer type and regulatory responsibility. Each median below is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 19-1013.
By State
Which states pay soil scientists the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates, not BLS state observations: the national median for SOC 19-1013 scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index. Licensure requirements for professional soil scientists differ genuinely by state, and several regulatory activities can only be performed by licensed practitioners, so check the state you intend to work in rather than relying on the figures below.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($90,680), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay soil scientists the most?
Metro figures are modeled, national median times state wage index times published metro index, not BLS metropolitan observations. Consulting soil science follows development activity in metros while survey and conservation work is rural, so the two halves of this profession sit in different places.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a soil scientist’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does soil scientist pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Soil Scientists sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify soil scientist wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a soil scientist actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Soil Scientist Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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