PublicPay

Soil Science federal salary series 0470

Full-time federal employees in the Soil Science series earned a median of $104,427 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 5% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $88,129 and $121,692.

Median pay
$104,427
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$88,129–$121,692
25th–75th percentile
Employees
578
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+4%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Soil Science
All federal (full-time)

What shapes soil science pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-12 (218 employees, median $107,411). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Agriculture (558 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in California ($118,072) and lowest in Oregon ($97,773), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

Soil Science pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Soil Science pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 57 $67,896 $65,838–$71,906
GS-11 146 $85,554 $82,148–$93,586
GS-12 218 $107,411 $99,346–$113,378
GS-13 66 $127,564 $120,629–$131,956
GS-14 38 $152,085 $142,549–$163,590
GS-15 42 $183,980 $174,888–$192,331

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Soil Science pay by agency

Soil Science pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Agriculture 558 $104,427 $87,828–$121,476

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Soil Science pay by state

The 3 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Soil Science pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Oregon 36 $97,773 $82,148–$111,730
California 34 $118,072 $94,937–$157,016
Texas 34 $109,548 $93,978–$140,452

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Change since September 2025

The median moved +4.0% from $100,440 in September 2025 to $104,427 in September 2026. Headcount went from 758 to 578 (−23.7%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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