Life, Physical, and Social Science · Holland code IRC
Soil and Plant Scientists
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.
Also called: Agronomist, Research Scientist, Research Soil Scientist, Scientist, Arboriculture Researcher, Crop Nutrition Scientist, Forage Physiologist, Horticulture Specialist.
O*NET 19-1013.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $78,850
- Middle half earn $61,660 to $103,740. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- Master's Degree
- 29% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 5 of 5
- Extensive preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops.
- Develop methods of conserving or managing soil that can be applied by farmers or forestry companies.
- Provide information or recommendations to farmers or other landowners regarding ways in which they can best use land, promote plant growth, or avoid or correct problems such as erosion.
- Conduct experiments to develop new or improved varieties of field crops, focusing on characteristics such as yield, quality, disease resistance, nutritional value, or adaptation to specific soils or climates.
- Investigate soil problems or poor water quality to determine sources and effects.
- Investigate responses of soils to specific management practices to determine the use capabilities of soils and the effects of alternative practices on soil productivity.
- Conduct experiments to investigate the underlying mechanisms of plant growth and response to the environment.
- Identify degraded or contaminated soils and develop plans to improve their chemical, biological, or physical characteristics.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
- Speaking4.0 / 5
- Science4.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking4.0 / 5
- Active Learning4.0 / 5
- Active Listening3.9 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Biology4.4 / 5
- English Language4.0 / 5
- Computers and Electronics3.9 / 5
- Chemistry3.8 / 5
- Mathematics3.8 / 5
- Education and Training3.4 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic90
- Investigative95
- Artistic18
- Social11
- Enterprising12
- Conventional40
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- botanicals specialist · DE Pflanzenexperte/Pflanzenexpertin · FR spécialiste en botanique
- botanist · DE Botaniker/Botanikerin · FR botaniste
- agricultural scientist · DE Agrarwissenschaftler/Agrarwissenschaftlerin · FR scientifique agricole
- agronomist · DE Agronom/Agronomin · FR agronome
- soil scientist · DE Bodenwissenschaftler/Bodenwissenschaftlerin · FR pédologue
- ecologist · DE Ökologe/Ökologin · FR écologue
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Conservation professionals (2151)21,900 employed
- Biological scientists (2112)37,800 employed
- Natural and social science professionals n.e.c. (2119)36,500 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €61,714 |
| Germany | €59,529 |
| Ireland | €56,877 |
| Austria | €55,374 |
| Netherlands | €53,595 |
| Sweden | €43,567 |
| France | €41,515 |
| Spain | €35,735 |
| Italy | €33,649 |
| Portugal | €26,072 |
| Poland | €14,380 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.63. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (19-1013).
Related careers
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