Soil and plant scientists
SOC Code: 19-1013
Soil and plant scientists carries a 23% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $71,410 and +5.4% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 20,700 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 23% AI exposure, Soil and plant scientists sits 14 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 11% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
78/100
Soil and plant scientists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B- $71,410
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B+ +5.4%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A 23% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Soil and plant scientists in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Soil and plant scientists shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Average (378 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Soil and plant scientists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Soil and plant scientists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
23% Among the lowest lower than 89% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Soil and plant scientists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Soil and plant scientists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Soil and plant scientists's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 19-1013) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Soil and plant scientists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Soil and plant scientists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops.
- 2. Develop methods of conserving or managing soil that can be applied by farmers or forestry companies.
- 3. Provide information or recommendations to farmers or other landowners regarding ways in which they can best use land, promote plant growth, or avoid or correct problems such as erosion.
- 4. Conduct experiments to develop new or improved varieties of field crops, focusing on characteristics such as yield, quality, disease resistance, nutritional value, or adaptation to specific soils or climates.
- 5. Investigate soil problems or poor water quality to determine sources and effects.
- 6. Investigate responses of soils to specific management practices to determine the use capabilities of soils and the effects of alternative practices on soil productivity.
- 7. Conduct experiments to investigate the underlying mechanisms of plant growth and response to the environment.
- 8. Identify degraded or contaminated soils and develop plans to improve their chemical, biological, or physical characteristics.
- 9. Develop new or improved methods or products for controlling or eliminating weeds, crop diseases, or insect pests.
- 10. Provide advice regarding the development of regulatory standards for land reclamation or soil conservation.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Science
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Analysis
Knowledge Areas
- Biology
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Geography
- Communications and Media
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Soil and plant scientists?
Soil and plant scientists has an AI exposure score of 23%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Soil and plant scientists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Soil and plant scientists is projected to grow by 5.4% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 20,700 workers.
What skills are needed for Soil and plant scientists?
Key skills for Soil and plant scientists include Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Science, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Soil and plant scientists earn?
The median annual wage for Soil and plant scientists is $71,410, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Soil and plant scientists?
The typical entry-level education for Soil and plant scientists is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Soil and plant scientists?
Soil and plant scientists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Soil and plant scientists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (23% here).
- Automotive service technicians and mechanics · AI exposure 23%
- Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers · AI exposure 23%
- Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers · AI exposure 23%
- Helpers--carpenters · AI exposure 23%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+5.4% here).
- Laundry and dry-cleaning workers · growth +5.4%
- Museum technicians and conservators · growth +5.4%
- Athletes and sports competitors · growth +5.5%
- Cooks, all other · growth +5.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 30 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Soil and plant scientists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Soil and plant scientists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).