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Soil Chemistry & Physics

Types of Degrees Soil Chemistry & Physics Majors Are Earning

Those studying Soil Chemistry & Physics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	21
Master’s Degree	2

What Soil Chemistry & Physics Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Soil Chemistry & Physics emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Soil Chemistry & Physics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Soil Chemistry & Physics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Soil Chemistry & Physics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Soil Chemistry & Physics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Soil Chemistry & Physics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Soil Chemistry & Physics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Data management software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Soil Chemistry & Physics graduates include:

• Dairy Science Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Farm Management Professor
• Soil Conservation Teacher
• Olericulture Professor
• Sericulture Teacher
• Poultry Husbandry Teacher
• Agricultural Engineering Technology Instructor
• Animal Husbandry Professor
• Farm Management Teacher
• Horticulture Manager
• Animal Nutrition Teacher
• Agronomy Instructor
• Farm Instructor
• Dairy Husbandry Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	41.9%
Master’s degree	19.4%
Post-doctoral training	18.8%
Bachelor’s degree	9.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.6%
Post-master’s certificate	2.3%
First professional degree	1.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.8%
Postsecondary certificate	1.8%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Soil Chemistry & Physics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.9% of Soil Chemistry & Physics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	14	60.9%
Men	9	39.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	20	87.0%
Asian	1	4.3%
Two or More Races	1	4.3%
International Students	1	4.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Soil Chemistry & Physics Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Soil Chemistry & Physics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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.}

Is a Degree in Soil Chemistry & Physics Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Soil Chemistry & Physics 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	CIP Code
Soil Sciences	01.12
Soil Microbiology	01.1203
Soil Science and Agronomy, General	01.1201
Soil Sciences, Other	01.1299
Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding	01.1104
Agriculture, General	01.0000
Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture	01.0308
Agronomy and Crop Science	01.1102
Horticultural Science	01.1103
Plant Protection and Integrated Pest Management	01.1105
Plant Sciences, General	01.1101
Plant Sciences, Other	01.1199

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.