occupation · 19-1013 · detailed
Soil and Plant Scientists — wages and employment
Soil and Plant Scientists earned a median annual wage of $71,410 in the United States in May 2024, with 16,600 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Soil and Plant Scientists earned a median annual wage of $71,410 in the United States in May 2024, with 16,600 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $45,320 or less, the best-paid tenth $131,440 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $68,240 to $71,410, +4.6 %. The best-paying state is District of Columbia at $100,820; the lowest Puerto Rico at $39,110. Among metropolitan areas, Modesto, CA pays the highest median, $113,340. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 16,600 | $71,410 | $83,040 | $45,320 | $57,950 | $98,110 | $131,440 | $34.33 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 15,800 | $68,240 | $77,080 | $43,790 | $54,030 | $93,500 | $119,410 | $32.81 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $100,820 | 60 |
| Idaho | $90,400 | 430 |
| Maine | $88,300 | 60 |
| Connecticut | $88,040 | 170 |
| New Jersey | $85,020 | 160 |
| Arkansas | $84,510 | — |
| Washington | $82,360 | 610 |
| California | $80,960 | 1,710 |
| Indiana | $79,820 | 520 |
| Mississippi | $79,790 | 60 |
| Oregon | $79,460 | 490 |
| Ohio | $79,220 | 270 |
| Florida | $77,970 | 290 |
| Wyoming | $77,500 | 60 |
| Nevada | $76,940 | 40 |
| Georgia | $75,250 | 470 |
| Maryland | $74,820 | 250 |
| Louisiana | $74,620 | 60 |
| Montana | $74,330 | 250 |
| Utah | $72,550 | 70 |
| Iowa | $72,440 | 770 |
| Virginia | $71,030 | 220 |
| Missouri | $70,450 | 250 |
| New York | $70,120 | 200 |
| Alabama | $69,200 | 90 |
| Colorado | $68,420 | 530 |
| Minnesota | $68,260 | 640 |
| North Carolina | $68,240 | 620 |
| Nebraska | $67,150 | 770 |
| New Mexico | $65,730 | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,650 | 260 |
| Massachusetts | $64,490 | — |
| Delaware | $64,300 | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $63,770 | 650 |
| Kentucky | $63,700 | 180 |
| Tennessee | $63,420 | 260 |
| Kansas | $62,530 | 340 |
| Vermont | $62,300 | — |
| South Dakota | $61,970 | 400 |
| North Dakota | $61,790 | 380 |
| Michigan | $61,710 | 420 |
| Oklahoma | $61,380 | 140 |
| Illinois | $60,970 | — |
| Arizona | $52,830 | 340 |
| South Carolina | $51,550 | 240 |
| West Virginia | $42,730 | 40 |
| Puerto Rico | $39,110 | 150 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | $113,340 | 30 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $105,260 | 70 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $103,620 | 220 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $101,250 | 130 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $100,370 | 40 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $99,890 | — |
| Salinas, CA | $97,760 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $96,540 | 210 |
| Twin Falls, ID | $95,570 | 50 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $95,480 | 40 |
| Boise City, ID | $95,100 | — |
| Fresno, CA | $94,580 | 100 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $92,310 | 280 |
| Salem, OR | $89,220 | 140 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $88,300 | 40 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $88,070 | 70 |
| New Haven, CT | $88,040 | 90 |
| Napa, CA | $87,070 | 80 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $86,180 | 160 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $86,120 | 240 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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