Soil Sciences: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 01.12. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 86 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 7 | 31 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 4 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 24 | 202 | $48,415 | $62,122 | $18,748 4 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 24 | 120 | $63,795 | $67,016 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 23 | 48 | $73,393 | $81,394 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 3 | 32 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 28 graduates measured | $56,925 | $67,666 | $12,000 |
| Brigham Young University-Idaho ID · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $54,662 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point WI · Public · 26 graduates measured | $51,787 | $62,051 | $18,996 |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins CO · Public · 22 graduates measured | $43,209 | $57,671 | $21,750 |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville TN · Public · 30 graduates measured | $42,016 | $88,563 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Soil Sciences
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil and plant scientists | $78,850 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Microbiologists | $87,990 | +6.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Agricultural technicians | $49,630 | +5.4% | Associate's degree |
| Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary | $98,700 | +2.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 01.1201 Soil Science and Agronomy, General
- 01.1202 Soil Chemistry and Physics
- 01.1203 Soil Microbiology
- 01.1299 Soil Sciences, Other