Soil conservationists working on public and private forest lands work closely with foresters and range managers. In timber cutting areas, soil scientists help lay out cutting zones and help revegetate clear cut lands. They help foresters and rangers design recreation areas and restore over used areas to their natural state. Working closely with range managers, soil scientists advise ranchers on grazing practices on public land and monitor and test soils in areas in which vegetation may be irreversibly damaged by overgrazing. Soil scientists are also consulted on building foundation, road building, waterway, waste disposal, and reclamation projects.
Related Professions
- Agronomist Crop Scientist
- Botanist
- Range Manager
- Forester
- Horticulturalist
- Microbiologist
- Plant Pathologist
Few colleges offer a major in soil science so most soil science professionals earn a degree in agronomy, forestry, range management, wildlife biology, regional planning, or agricultural engineering. Each state supports a land grant university with a focus on agricultural and forestry studies. According to the Soil Science Society of America, 129 colleges and universities in the United States have programs relating to studies in soil science. The University of Wisconsin Madison has an excellent degree program (bachelor, master's, and Ph.D.) in soil science. Some of the areas that soil science students specialize in are soil biochemistry and microbiology, soil fertility and plant nutrition, forest soil science, soil classification and land use, soil and environmental physics, and soil and water management. Students take a wide range of science courses, including chemistry, forestry, plant pathology, botany, geology, meteorology, and physics. Numerous summer work and internship opportunities are provided by the U.S. Forest Service, Soil Conservation Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
Professional Certification
The American Society of Agronomy offers its members a certification called the American Registry of Certified Professionals in Agronomy, Crops, and Soils. Contact the society for information on testing procedures and personal requirements.
Setting
Soil scientists work in every region of the country, and like foresters and range managers, they tend to be concentrated in the southern and western states. Most of their work is conducted outdoors and often in extreme weather conditions, such as rain or snowstorms, and in drought areas where they appraise the climate effects on soils. This fieldwork is often strenuous; soil scientists must be in good physical condition. At other times they are found in the laboratory analyzing soils and writing reports. Like professionals in other forestry and outdoor recreation careers, soil scientists should be comfortable living in a rural setting and prepared to spend stretches of time in the hinterlands under primitive living conditions. Good communication skills are also essential because soil scientists often must persuade landowners, ranchers, and other conservation scientists to follow soil sensitive land use practices.
Employment Statistics And Major Employers
In the early 1990s more than 7,000 soil scientists were employed in the United States. The majority of soil scientists work for the federal, state, and local governments. The largest concentration of soil scientists is in the federal government and works in the Soil Conservation Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Army Corps of Engineers. The Soil Conservation Service, in cooperation with state and local authorities, runs soil conservation districts around the nation. A small number of professionals works in the Environmental Protection Agency. State environmental and planning agencies also hire a number of soil scientists. States with erosion problems, fragile ecosystems, or a large concentration of grazing lands, located mainly in the West, have the greatest need for these professionals. Soil scientists also work for state and county Cooperative Extension services, which offer advice to farmers and ranchers. In private industry, soil scientists work for timber companies, mining operations, electric power companies, private sanitation firms, and agricultural equipment manufacturers. A growing number are employed by environmental consulting firms that inspect and clean up polluted land sites.
Job growth for soil scientists in government is expected to be level until the year 2000, due primarily to ongoing budget constraints. Normal worker turnover will create a fair number of job openings each year. In the private sector, job growth is expected to accelerate, particularly for workers involved in environmental cleanup operations, particularly the reclaiming of strip mine lands, wetlands, and hazardous materials work.
Salary Statistics
Entry level soil scientists with a bachelor's degree and little work experience can expect a starting salary in the range of $20,000 to $26,000 per year. In the federal government, entry level soil scientists with a bachelor's degree earn between $22,717 and $24,231. Most master's degree holders earn a starting salary of $27,789 to $29,642, while Ph.D. recipients earn between $33,623 and $35,865. These starting salaries are generally higher than those offered in state and local governments, and comparable to salaries in the private sector.