Also called: Pedologist, Soil Conservationist
Studies dirt: how soil forms, what lives in it, and how to keep it healthy and from washing away.
You dig soil pits with a shovel or a hydraulic probe and read the layers like pages of a history book. You map soils for the USDA, test how much carbon a field is storing, or figure out whether land can handle a septic system. Back in the lab, you run chemistry tests.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in soil science or a related field; research roles need a master's or PhD.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Soil Science, Environmental Science, Geology, Agronomy.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Soil and plant scientists; carbon farming is creating new demand.
Low risk for 10 years. AI and spectral sensors speed soil mapping; digging pits, classifying soils in the field and interpreting them stay human.
Classes: Earth science, Chemistry, Biology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1013.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.