Soil and Plant Scientists Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for soil and plant scientistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $87,720 ≈ $42/hr

National median salary $78,850

Total employment 15,730 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +5.4% Faster than average

Annual openings 1,700 per year (avg)

Employment 2024→2034 20,700 → 21,800 (+1,100)

Typical entry education Bachelor's degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

AK ME WI VT NH WA ID MT ND MN IL MI NY MA OR NV WY SD IA IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA UT CO NE MO KY WV VA MD DE AZ NM KS AR TN NC SC DC OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL

Mean annual wage $0–$73,000 $73,000–$77,000 $77,000–$84,000 $84,000–$90,000 $90,000–$111,000 U.S. mean $87,720

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

District of Columbia$110,880
Colorado$107,330
Iowa$104,430
Alaska$102,230
California$99,260

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

Oklahoma$64,520
Ohio$65,870
Vermont$66,690
Louisiana$67,160
Utah$67,370

State Rankings

⇄ Compare specific states

#	State	Mean	Median	Hourly	vs. U.S.	Employment
1	District of Columbia	$110,880	$107,140	$53	+26.4%	60
2	Colorado	$107,330	$75,430	$52	+22.4%	460
3	Iowa	$104,430	$96,310	$50	+19%	960
4	Alaska	$102,230	$100,320	$49	+16.5%	30
5	California	$99,260	$91,930	$48	+13.2%	1,440
6	Florida	$98,800	$103,240	$48	+12.6%	270
7	Maryland	$97,590	$85,020	$47	+11.3%	200
8	Idaho	$96,080	$95,150	$46	+9.5%	540
9	Indiana	$92,030	$80,030	$44	+4.9%	440
10	New Jersey	$91,400	$91,970	$44	+4.2%	130
11	Hawaii	$89,530	$84,390	$43	+2.1%	60
12	Illinois	$89,520	$79,490	$43	+2.1%	820
13	New York	$89,490	$77,800	$43	+2%	260
14	Washington	$89,180	$79,970	$43	+1.7%	520
15	Oregon	$89,040	$85,150	$43	+1.5%	620
16	Minnesota	$88,200	$79,610	$42	+0.5%	750
17	North Carolina	$85,790	$76,330	$41	-2.2%	570
18	Connecticut	$85,750	$67,630	$41	-2.2%	200
19	Maine	$84,180	$78,250	$40	-4%	30
20	Missouri	$83,970	$76,080	$40	-4.3%	220
21	Mississippi	$82,750	$72,690	$40	-5.7%	100
22	Arizona	$81,680	$83,840	$39	-6.9%	270
23	South Dakota	$79,240	$73,590	$38	-9.7%	480
24	Pennsylvania	$78,720	$70,550	$38	-10.3%	200
25	Virginia	$78,520	$73,920	$38	-10.5%	140
26	South Carolina	$77,940	$78,850	$37	-11.1%	90
27	Delaware	$77,740	$65,310	$37	-11.4%	60
28	Montana	$77,540	$73,920	$37	-11.6%	230
29	North Dakota	$77,170	$65,320	$37	-12%	410
30	Massachusetts	$77,160	$69,880	$37	-12%	—
31	Georgia	$77,100	$65,170	$37	-12.1%	210
32	Nebraska	$76,950	$77,500	$37	-12.3%	640
33	Alabama	$76,640	$63,010	$37	-12.6%	110
34	Kansas	$76,490	$65,670	$37	-12.8%	380
35	New Mexico	$76,290	$69,480	$37	-13%	90
36	Kentucky	$76,110	$67,340	$37	-13.2%	140
37	Nevada	$76,110	$71,450	$37	-13.2%	90
38	Michigan	$75,210	$65,390	$36	-14.3%	570
39	Tennessee	$72,540	$61,950	$35	-17.3%	370
40	Wyoming	$69,430	$55,680	$33	-20.9%	50
41	Wisconsin	$68,620	$66,200	$33	-21.8%	680
42	Utah	$67,370	$59,900	$32	-23.2%	90
43	Louisiana	$67,160	$60,200	$32	-23.4%	170
44	Vermont	$66,690	$58,220	$32	-24%	—
45	Ohio	$65,870	$56,820	$32	-24.9%	320
46	Oklahoma	$64,520	$63,910	$31	-26.4%	100

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 117 metro areas.

#	Metro area	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$132,290	$123,060	430
2	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$116,660	$122,130	70
3	Salinas, CA	$115,910	$111,560	30
4	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$108,200	$124,130	140
5	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$106,410	$95,470	30
6	Napa, CA	$104,120	$98,710	70
7	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$103,740	$95,000	100
8	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$101,660	$91,990	50
9	West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area	$101,520	$92,980	40
10	Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area	$100,490	$100,110	70

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing soil and plant scientistss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#	Industry	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$125,230	$119,830	—
2	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$121,470	$108,850	90
3	Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	$114,990	$109,270	100
4	Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers	$114,990	$109,270	100
5	Chemical Manufacturing	$113,420	$114,980	260
6	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only)	$108,740	$97,550	130
7	Beverage Manufacturing	$104,850	$103,440	130
8	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	$104,670	$103,240	150
9	Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing	$104,670	$110,380	670
10	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$102,720	$103,500	300
11	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$102,720	$103,500	300
12	Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises	$102,720	$103,500	300

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do soil and plant scientists make in the U.S.?

The median soil and plant scientists salary in the United States is $78,850 per year (mean $87,720), and about 80% earn between $48,680 and $138,120.

How much do soil and plant scientists make per hour?

Roughly $42 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $87,720 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays soil and plant scientists the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for soil and plant scientists at $110,880 per year (median $107,140).

What is the job outlook for soil and plant scientists?

Employment is projected to change +5.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 1,700 openings per year.

What People Search

Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.

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