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Soil Science & Agronomy

Types of Degrees Soil Science & Agronomy Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Soil Science & Agronomy have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	5
Associate’s Degree	3
Bachelor’s Degree	150
Master’s Degree	160
Doctor’s Degree	38

What Soil Science & Agronomy Majors Need to Know

Studies in Soil Science & Agronomy build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Soil Science & Agronomy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Soil Science & Agronomy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Soil Science & Agronomy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Soil Science & Agronomy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Soil Science & Agronomy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Soil Science & Agronomy graduates include:

• Agronomist
• Field Agronomist
• Technical Agronomist
• Precision Agronomist
• Agricultural Specialist
• Agriculture Technician (Agriculture Tech)
• College Professor
• Agronomy Instructor
• Viticulture Teacher
• Olericulture Teacher
• Dairy Science Teacher
• Agribusiness Professor
• Faculty Member
• Animal Physiology Teacher
• Dairy Husbandry Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	26.9%
Bachelor’s degree	16.5%
Master’s degree	13.7%
Post-doctoral training	11.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	9.2%
Postsecondary certificate	4.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.1%
Some college courses	1.9%
Post-master’s certificate	1.4%
First professional degree	1.1%
Less than a high school diploma	0.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Soil Science & Agronomy?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 46.9% women and 53.1% men among Soil Science & Agronomy graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	168	46.9%
Men	190	53.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	250	69.8%
Asian	10	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino	32	8.9%
Black or African American	7	2.0%
Two or More Races	9	2.5%
Race Unknown	14	3.9%
International Students	36	10.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Soil Science & Agronomy Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Soil Science & Agronomy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 Science & Agronomy Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Soil Science & Agronomy. 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 Science & Agronomy Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Soil Science & Agronomy 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 Chemistry and Physics	01.1202
Soil Microbiology	01.1203
Soil Sciences, Other	01.1299
Agriculture, General	01.0000
Agronomy and Crop Science	01.1102
Plant Sciences, General	01.1101
Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding	01.1104
Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture	01.0308
Animal Sciences, General	01.0901
Dairy Science	01.0905
Horticultural Science	01.1103

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.