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Soil Sciences

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 01.1201 - 01.1299.

Types of Degrees Soil Sciences Majors Are Earning

Those studying Soil Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	5
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	202
Master’s Degree	176
Doctor’s Degree	48

What Soil Sciences Majors Need to Know

Programs in Soil Sciences develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Soil Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Soil Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Soil Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Soil Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Soil Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Soil Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Soil Sciences graduates include:

• Farm Management Teacher
• Agronomy Instructor
• Soil Biology Teacher
• Animal Science Professor
• Faculty Member
• Agronomy Professor
• Agricultural Economics Professor
• Pomology Teacher
• Soil Science Professor
• Plant Science Professor
• Instructor
• Dairy Husbandry Teacher
• Animal Anatomy Teacher
• Plant Pathology Teacher
• Agricultural Science Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Soil Sciences graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	34.3%
Master’s degree	17.2%
Post-doctoral training	15.5%
Bachelor’s degree	15.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.0%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.8%
First professional degree	1.4%
Some college courses	0.6%
Less than a high school diploma	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Soil Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 50.7% women and 49.3% men among Soil Sciences graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	221	50.7%
Men	215	49.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Soil Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	307	70.4%
Asian	15	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	36	8.3%
Black or African American	9	2.1%
Two or More Races	14	3.2%
Race Unknown	15	3.4%
International Students	40	9.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Soil Sciences Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Soil Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$51,851
4 years	$52,838
5 years	$61,652

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $61,652 — roughly 19% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Soil Sciences Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Soil Sciences. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Soil Sciences Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Soil Sciences graduates earn a median of $52,838 four years after completion — roughly 39% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Agriculture Ag Operations	53,204
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians	9,051
Agricultural Business and Management	8,612
Animal Sciences	8,295
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services	4,164
Veterinary Medicine	3,756
Agricultural Production Operations	3,608
Plant Sciences	3,261
Food Science and Technology	2,269
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services	1,424
Agricultural Mechanization	1,378
Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences	1,077

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.