Soil and Plant Scientists
SOC 19-1013 · 2024-2034
Conduct research in breeding, physiology, production, yield, and management of crops and agricultural plants or trees, shrubs, and nursery stock, their growth in soils, and control of pests; or study the chemical, physical, biological, and mineralogical composition of soils as they relate to plant or crop growth. May classify and map soils and investigate effects of alternative practices on soil and crop productivity.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $94,503per year
- Projected openings
- 1,660
- Projected change
- +4.8%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Bright Outlook — a U.S. Department of Labor designation
Rapid Growth
The Department's own designation, made from its national projections. It is not this project's assessment and it is not California's: every other figure on this page comes from California's projection, which can point the other way and for some occupations does.
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Science
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Active Listening
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $116,420 | 40 |
| Salinas MSA (Monterey County) | $100,417 | 130 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $99,965 | 90 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $99,166 | 80 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $97,150 | 120 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $90,464 | 70 |
| Napa MSA (Napa County) | $89,436 | 70 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $88,522 | 180 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $84,732 | 50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $82,801 | 170 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $82,739 | 100 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $80,753 | 110 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $80,747 | 180 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA (San Luis Obispo County) | $77,603 | 30 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $75,744 | 20 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region (Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties) | $73,905 | 50 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $72,200 | 130 |
| El Centro MSA (Imperial County) | $71,461 | 10 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $46,552 | 50 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $50,731
- A quarter earn under
- $75,321
- Half earn under
- $94,503
- Three quarters earn under
- $123,678
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $159,164
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation Scientists | $82,044 | 2,210 | +13.6% |
| Agricultural Technicians | $62,009 | 5,430 | +5.9% |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | $109,492 | 12,710 | +6.9% |
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $116,708 | 10,850 | +9.7% |
| Microbiologists | $111,568 | 2,400 | +11.1% |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | $109,481 | 2,910 | +2.7% |
Programs that train for this job — 4
Professional Winemaking (Certificate)
UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education · Davis · $8,685
Revolution National Pest Council Apprenticeship Program
Revolution National Pest Council, LLC · Carson · $10,810
Agribusiness: Pairing Wine and Food (Certificate of Accomplishment)
Allan Hancock College · Santa Maria · $454
Plant Science- BC
Kern Community College District · Bakersfield · $2,400