Occupational Employment Statistics

DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

19-1013 Soil and Plant Scientists

Occupational Description:
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.

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
First Quarter 2026

Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
Minnesota	750	109	$43.60/hr	$24.96/hr	$32.19/hr	$39.35/hr	$54.68/hr	$67.29/hr

Leading Industries for Soil and Plant Scientists

Industry	OES Employment (Statewide)	OES Median Wage (Statewide)
Natural Resources and Mining	N/A	N/A
Manufacturing	N/A	N/A
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	270	$39.16/hr
Professional and Business Services	210	$54.68/hr
Education and Health Services	140	$32.19/hr
Leisure and Hospitality	10	$25.62/hr
Public Administration	80	$40.19/hr

Other Regional Data for Soil and Plant Scientists

Geography	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2022-2032
Duluth MN-WI MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
Northeast Balance of State	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mankato-North Mankato MN MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
Rochester MN MSA	N/A	N/A	N/A
La Crosse WI-MN MSA	10	$32.51/hr	N/A
St Cloud MN MSA	10	$38.51/hr	N/A
Northeast Minnesota	10	$39.26/hr	N/A
Grand Forks ND-MN MSA	30	$39.94/hr	N/A
Southeast Minnesota	40	$32.27/hr	0.0%
Southeast Balance of State	50	$37.26/hr	N/A
Northwest Balance of State	50	$37.04/hr	N/A
Central Minnesota	60	$38.54/hr	2.7%
Northwest Minnesota	70	$37.85/hr	2.0%
Southwest Minnesota	80	$36.05/hr	0.0%
Southwest Balance of State	80	$35.21/hr	N/A
Fargo ND-MN MSA	230	$32.29/hr	N/A
Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN	380	$39.35/hr	4.5%
Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA	400	$39.35/hr	N/A
Minnesota	750	$39.35/hr	4.5%

Related Occupations

Occupations	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2022-2032
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	240	$39.80/hr	8.9%
Animal Scientists	100	$43.81/hr	3.4%
Hydrologists	300	$46.74/hr	3.1%
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists	720	$33.91/hr	4.0%
Microbiologists	290	$41.21/hr	6.8%
Physical Scientists, All Other	540	$73.09/hr	6.4%

Task for Soil and Plant Scientists

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.
Communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops.
Communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops.
Identify or classify species of insects or allied forms, such as mites or spiders.
Conduct research to determine best methods of planting, spraying, cultivating, harvesting, storing, processing, or transporting horticultural products.
Develop new or improved methods or products for controlling or eliminating weeds, crop diseases, or insect pests.
Study ways to improve agricultural sustainability, such as the use of new methods of composting.
Conduct experiments regarding causes of bee diseases or factors affecting yields of nectar or pollen.
Develop ways of altering soils to suit different types of plants.