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Agriculture & Crop Production
Bayer Crop Science, Corteva, Syngenta
Soil and Plant Scientists
Soil and plant scientists study how soil, crops, and the environment interact, then use that research to improve yields, protect land, and solve real problems for farms, labs, and construction projects. The work is a tradeoff between slow, careful experiments and practical deadlines, because the answers have to be scientifically solid and usable in the field.
Also known as AgronomistSoil ScientistPlant ScientistCrop ScientistAgricultural Scientist
Median Salary
$71,410
Mean $83,040
U.S. Workforce
~17K
1.7K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+5.4%
20.7K to 21.8K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Soil and Plant Scientists sits in the Science category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~17K workers, with a median annual pay of $71,410 and roughly 1.7K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 20.7 K in 2024 to 21.8K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Research Technician and can progress toward Principal Scientist / Research Lead. High-value skills usually include Science, Working with Computers, Excel & Research Software, and R, SAS & Statistical Analysis, paired with soft skills such as Active Learning, Critical Thinking, and Reading Comprehension.
Core Responsibilities
- Test soil samples and study how nutrients, moisture, pH, and living organisms affect plant growth.
- Run crop trials to compare varieties for yield, quality, disease resistance, and climate fit.
- Study how plants respond to light, water, temperature, and other environmental stress in lab and field settings.
- Figure out better ways to plant, spray, harvest, store, process, and move horticultural crops.
Keep exploring: more Science careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Test soil samples and study how nutrients, moisture, pH, and living organisms affect plant growth.
02 Run crop trials to compare varieties for yield, quality, disease resistance, and climate fit.
03 Study how plants respond to light, water, temperature, and other environmental stress in lab and field settings.
04 Figure out better ways to plant, spray, harvest, store, process, and move horticultural crops.
05 Work with engineers on building projects to identify soil problems and recommend fixes.
06 Present findings in reports, workshops, or classes, and help improve soil-conservation tools and pest-control methods.
Industries That Hire
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Seeds, Fertilizers & Farm Inputs
BASF, Nutrien, FMC
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Environmental Consulting & Remediation
AECOM, Jacobs, WSP
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Food Processing & Commodity Trading
Cargill, ADM, Nestlé
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AgTech & Research Labs
Indigo Ag, Trimble, Eurofins
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is solid for a science job, with a median annual wage of $71,410 and a mean of $83,040.
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You get to work on concrete problems like crop yields, disease resistance, soil health, and land-use issues.
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The job mixes fieldwork, lab work, and data analysis, so the work does not feel repetitive.
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You can find employers in universities, seed companies, consulting firms, government labs, and food businesses.
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The outlook is steady rather than tiny, with 5.4% projected growth and about 1.7 thousand annual openings.
Challenges
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A lot of jobs pay moderately rather than exceptionally well, and many employers want a master's degree even though the BLS says the typical entry point is a bachelor's degree.
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Advancement can level off without graduate school, because the better-paying research and leadership roles often go to people with advanced degrees.
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The work is not very remote-friendly, since field trials, sampling, and site visits still need hands-on presence.
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Growth is only 5.4%, so this is not a fast-expanding field and competition can stay tight in a relatively small labor market of 16,600 workers.
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Hiring can swing with grants, commodity prices, and agricultural budgets, which makes the field more vulnerable to funding cycles than some other science careers.
Career Progression
Research Technician
0-2 years
$40K-$54K
Helps collect samples, set up test plots, record measurements, and keep field or lab data organized.
Soil and Plant Scientist
2-5 years
$60K-$85K
Designs studies, analyzes results, and turns research into advice for growers, companies, or construction teams.
Senior Soil and Plant Scientist THIS ROLE
6-10 years
$86K-$112K
Leads larger projects, reviews methods, supervises staff, and develops recommendations or new products.
Principal Scientist / Research Lead
10+ years
$113K-$145K
Sets research priorities, wins funding, and makes the final call on experiments, publications, and applied solutions.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree
This is the BLS typical entry point, and 23.81% of workers in the O*NET sample reported this level.
Master's degree
This is the most common path, held by 28.57% of workers, and it is often preferred for research-heavy jobs.
Doctoral degree
A doctoral degree shows up for 19.05% of workers and is most useful for leading independent research or teaching.
Post-baccalaureate certificate
A post-baccalaureate certificate can add a useful specialty such as soil science, GIS, or agronomy, but it appears in only 4.76% of the sample.
Key Skills
Technical
Science 80%
Working with Computers, Excel & Research Software 79%
R, SAS & Statistical Analysis 79%
Soil Sampling, Lab Testing & Field Plots 78%
ArcGIS, GPS & Remote Sensing 78%
Experimental Design & Research Methods 77%
Soft Skills
Active LearningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive ListeningWriting Job Outlook and Trends
+5.4%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
1.7K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 20.7K to 21.8 K over the next decade, representing 5.4% growth. Around 1.7 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.