Soil and Plant Scientists pay in the U.S.
$87,720avg. a year
$42.17 an hour · 15,730 employed
Soil and Plant Scientists in the U.S. earn an average of $87,720 a year and a median of $78,850. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($110,880) and lowest in Oklahoma ($64,520).
$78,850Median pay
$42.17Average hourly
+20%Avg. pay since 2020
15,730Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for soil and plant scientists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
160 jobs
District of Columbia
$110,880
$53.31 an hour
2460 jobs
Colorado
$107,330
$51.60 an hour
3960 jobs
Iowa
$104,430
$50.21 an hour
430 jobs
Alaska
$102,230
$49.15 an hour
51,440 jobs
California
$99,260
$47.72 an hour
6270 jobs
Florida
$98,800
$47.50 an hour
7200 jobs
Maryland
$97,590
$46.92 an hour
8540 jobs
Idaho
$96,080
$46.19 an hour
9440 jobs
Indiana
$92,030
$44.25 an hour
10130 jobs
New Jersey
$91,400
$43.94 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Soil and Plant Scientists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $76k$76k–$79k$79k–$90k$90k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $124,130 | $59.68 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $123,060 | $59.16 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $107,020 | $51.45 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $104,560 | $50.27 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $104,320 | $50.16 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $99,250 | $47.72 |
| Boise City, ID | $95,440 | $45.89 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $95,000 | $45.68 |
Related jobs
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$116,840
- Biological Scientists, All Other$106,330
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$129,840
- Conservation Scientists$77,130
- Microbiologists$97,600
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$83,020
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Soil and Plant Scientists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $76,640 | $63,010 | 110 |
| Alaska | $102,230 | $100,320 | 30 |
| Arizona | $81,680 | $83,840 | 270 |
| California | $99,260 | $91,930 | 1,440 |
| Colorado | $107,330 | $75,430 | 460 |
| Connecticut | $85,750 | $67,630 | 200 |
| Delaware | $77,740 | $65,310 | 60 |
| District of Columbia | $110,880 | $107,140 | 60 |
| Florida | $98,800 | $103,240 | 270 |
| Georgia | $77,100 | $65,170 | 210 |
| Hawaii | $89,530 | $84,390 | 60 |
| Idaho | $96,080 | $95,150 | 540 |
| Illinois | $89,520 | $79,490 | 820 |
| Indiana | $92,030 | $80,030 | 440 |
| Iowa | $104,430 | $96,310 | 960 |
| Kansas | $76,490 | $65,670 | 380 |
| Kentucky | $76,110 | $67,340 | 140 |
| Louisiana | $67,160 | $60,200 | 170 |
| Maine | $84,180 | $78,250 | 30 |
| Maryland | $97,590 | $85,020 | 200 |
| Massachusetts | $77,160 | $69,880 | – |
| Michigan | $75,210 | $65,390 | 570 |
| Minnesota | $88,200 | $79,610 | 750 |
| Mississippi | $82,750 | $72,690 | 100 |
| Missouri | $83,970 | $76,080 | 220 |
| Montana | $77,540 | $73,920 | 230 |
| Nebraska | $76,950 | $77,500 | 640 |
| Nevada | $76,110 | $71,450 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $91,400 | $91,970 | 130 |
| New Mexico | $76,290 | $69,480 | 90 |
| New York | $89,490 | $77,800 | 260 |
| North Carolina | $85,790 | $76,330 | 570 |
| North Dakota | $77,170 | $65,320 | 410 |
| Ohio | $65,870 | $56,820 | 320 |
| Oklahoma | $64,520 | $63,910 | 100 |
| Oregon | $89,040 | $85,150 | 620 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,720 | $70,550 | 200 |
| South Carolina | $77,940 | $78,850 | 90 |
| South Dakota | $79,240 | $73,590 | 480 |
| Tennessee | $72,540 | $61,950 | 370 |
| Utah | $67,370 | $59,900 | 90 |
| Vermont | $66,690 | $58,220 | – |
| Virginia | $78,520 | $73,920 | 140 |
| Washington | $89,180 | $79,970 | 520 |
| Wisconsin | $68,620 | $66,200 | 680 |
| Wyoming | $69,430 | $55,680 | 50 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
$123,060
430 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$88,360
400 jobsBoise City, ID
$95,440
290 jobsPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$94,490
250 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$87,380
240 jobsFargo, ND-MN
$71,140
230 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$107,020
230 jobsFort Collins-Loveland, CO
$104,320
220 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do soil and plant scientists make?
The average is $87,720 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $78,850 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $42.17, and the median is $37.91 an hour.
Which state pays soil and plant scientists the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $110,880 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $124,130.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $48,680 a year, and the top 10% earn over $138,120.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-1013. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.