Job description template

Soil and Plant Scientist Job Description Template

A copy-ready soil and plant scientist job description with responsibilities, qualifications, skills and pay guidance: customize it for your company in minutes.

Updated By the Career Education Institute Curriculum Team
How to use this template

Copy the template below, replace the bracketed fields and tailor duties to your workplace. For pay, national BLS data shows soil and plant scientists earn a median of $78,850 ($37.91/hour); the middle 50% earn $61,660–$103,740.

Job title

Soil and Plant Scientist

Job summary

[Company name] is seeking a dependable soil and plant scientist to join our team in [city, state]. In this role, you will test soils, breed crops and support our team’s commitment to safety, quality and service.

Responsibilities

  • Test soils
  • Breed crops
  • Research pests
  • Advise farmers
  • Run field trials
  • Recommend fertilizer
  • Promote conservation
  • Follow company policies, safety procedures and applicable regulations

Required qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree
  • Working knowledge of soil science and agronomy
  • Curiosity and communication
  • [Add role-specific requirements, such as driver’s license or ability to pass a background check, if job-related]

Preferred qualifications

  • CCA
  • CPSS
  • Pesticide applicator license
  • Experience with soil probes

Skills

  • Plant breeding
  • Field trials
  • Statistics
  • GIS
  • Problem-solving
  • Patience

Work environment and schedule

Scientists work in fields, labs and offices. Full time, busy in growing seasons.

Pay and benefits

$[min]–$[max] per [hour/year], depending on experience. [List benefits: health insurance, paid time off, retirement plan, training and certification support.]

Equal opportunity

[Company name] is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law, and we provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Tips for a soil and plant scientist job posting that attracts applicants

  • Use the title candidates search for. “Soil and Plant Scientist” is the clearest; alternates include Agronomist, Soil Scientist, Crop Scientist.
  • Show the pay range. Postings with pay get more qualified applicants, and a growing number of states and cities require pay ranges in job postings.
  • Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves. Long requirement lists discourage qualified candidates, especially career changers.
  • Describe a real day. Borrow from our day in the life of a soil and plant scientist so applicants self-select accurately.
  • Mention training. Highlighting structured onboarding: such as Soil and Plant Scientist training: widens your applicant pool.

Next steps

Screen and interview with our Soil and Plant Scientist hiring guide, then onboard with the 30-60-90 day plan.

Team pricing