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Salary comparison

Soil and Plant Scientists vs. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: Who Earns More?

Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss out-earn Soil and Plant Scientistss by $11K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Soil and Plant Scientistss land at $78,850 and Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss at $90,150. The education gap is real: soil and plant scientist programs typically require bachelor's degree, while occupational health and safety specialist programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Soil and Plant Scientistss is District of Columbia ($107,140); for Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss it's District of Columbia ($111,530).

Soil and Plant Scientists
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
Median salary
$78,850
$90,150
Hourly rate
$37.91/hr
$43.34/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$48,680
$55,000
Senior level (90th %)
$138,120
$134,950
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
15,730
140,610
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Science
Science
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Soil and Plant Scientists median pay.

State
Soil and Plant Scientists
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
District of Columbia
$107,140
$111,530
Alaska
$100,320
$99,270
California
$91,930
$102,840
Oregon
$85,150
$95,240
Hawaii
$84,390
$94,840
Washington
$79,970
$102,920
Minnesota
$79,610
$96,990
Illinois
$79,490
$98,270
Maine
$78,250
$97,640
New York
$77,800
$95,720
Colorado
$75,430
$101,400
Nevada
$71,450
$94,360
Massachusetts
$69,880
$103,970
Connecticut
$67,630
$96,110
Wyoming
$55,680
$94,030

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Soil and Plant Scientistss or Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss?

Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss earn more nationally. The median is $78,850 for Soil and Plant Scientistss versus $90,150 for Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss, a difference of $11K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Soil and Plant Scientists or Occupational Health and Safety Specialists?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Soil and Plant Scientists or Occupational Health and Safety Specialists?

Soil and Plant Scientists typically requires bachelor's degree. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Soil and Plant Scientistss get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Soil and Plant Scientistss at $107,140/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Soil and Plant Scientists vs. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Soil and Plant Scientistss earn $107,140 vs. $111,530 for Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Soil and Plant Scientists salary breakdownView →Full Occupational Health and Safety Specialists salary breakdownView →Best cities for Soil and Plant Scientistss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Occupational Health and Safety Specialistss by take-home payExplore →How to become a soil and plant scientistsGuide →How to become a occupational health and safety specialistsGuide →