Soil Sciences
Students study soil chemistry, physics, biology, classification, and management practices that support crop production and environmental conservation. Graduates typically pursue careers in soil conservation, environmental consulting, agricultural advising, and land-use planning. This specialized field is increasingly important as climate change and food security drive demand for soil expertise.
What Soil Sciences graduates do
Your career will likely begin with your hands in the dirt. As an agricultural technician, you’ll spend your days in the field or lab, collecting soil and water samples, running chemical analyses, and meticulously logging data. This groundwork prepares you to become a soil and plant scientist, where your focus shifts from data collection to interpretation. You’ll design experiments to improve crop yields, advise on sustainable land management, or even specialize as a microbiologist, studying the microscopic life that drives soil health. The path to becoming a scientist shows the most promising growth. For those who enjoy mentoring, a career as a postsecondary teacher lets you conduct research while shaping future experts.
Across these roles, AI will automate significant parts of your routine work, such as analyzing sensor data or identifying microbes from lab samples. Your job isn't disappearing, but your daily tasks will change. Success will depend on your ability to interpret AI-driven insights, solve complex environmental problems that require human judgment, and effectively communicate solutions to farmers and policymakers.
Closely-related majors include Agriculture, International Agriculture, and Plant Sciences, which share overlapping career paths and skill sets.
Where Soil Sciences graduates work
Common career paths for Soil Sciences graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 7,100 combined openings per year across these roles.
| Role | Median Pay | Annual Openings | 10-yr Growth | AI Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Microbiologists
|
$87,330
$64K–$121K
|
1,700 | +4.1% | Moderate · 40% |
|
Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary
|
$86,350
$64K–$123K
|
800 | +4.1% | High · 50% |
|
Soil and plant scientists
|
$71,410
$58K–$98K
|
1,700 | +5.4% | Moderate · 49% |
|
Agricultural technicians
|
$46,790
$38K–$59K
|
2,900 | +4.3% | High · 50% |
Best schools for Soil Sciences
Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 6 of 6.
| # | School | DW Score | 1-yr Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO · Public
|
43 | $46,287 | 9.8x |
| 6 |
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Stillwater, OK · Public
|
38 | $43,421 | 9.6x |
Highest Earnings Top 5
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
TN |
$55,322 |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
IL |
$55,076 |
| Michigan State University
MI |
$50,770 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
WI |
$50,046 |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins
CO |
$46,287 |
Best ROI Top 5
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
WI |
16.3x |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
IL |
10.9x |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
TN |
10.6x |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins
CO |
9.8x |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
OK |
9.6x |
Related majors
Similar fields of study often offered alongside Soil Sciences.
Frequently asked about Soil Sciences
What's the typical salary after a Soil Sciences degree?
First-year earnings for Soil Sciences graduates average $50,154 annually, based on data from 6 programs. The range spans $43,421 at the low end to $55,322 at the top.
Will AI affect Soil Sciences careers?
AI exposure for Soil Sciences is rated "High." With 48% of tasks potentially affected by large language models, some career functions face meaningful automation pressure in the coming decade.
What's the top-ranked school for Soil Sciences?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point ranks #1 for Soil Sciences with a score of 52/100 and graduate earnings of $50,046/yr.
What's the outlook for a Soil Sciences degree?
Typical graduates earn 11.0 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.