Soil and Plant Scientists Salary
The median pay for a soil and plant scientists in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI is $57,160/year ($27.48/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $121K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.55), that's roughly $59,822 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,519/month, about 40.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood’s Regional Price Parity (95.55). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About soil and plant scientists
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What this looks like in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood
Pay for soil and plant scientists in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $79K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,519/month, which is 40% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for soil and plant scientistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for soil and plant scientists in metros near Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lansing-East Lansing | $65K | $69K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $83K | $83K |
| Madison | $74K | $76K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $66K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
Entry-level soil and plant scientists (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $121K or more, a $81K spread from bottom to top.
Soil and Plant Scientists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Soil and Plant Scientists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $107K | +36% | 60 |
| Florida | $103K | +31% | 270 |
| Alaska | $100K | +27% | 30 |
| Iowa | $96K | +22% | 960 |
| Idaho | $95K | +21% | 540 |
| New Jersey | $92K | +17% | 130 |
| California | $92K | +17% | 1,440 |
| Oregon | $85K | +8% | 620 |
| Maryland | $85K | +8% | 200 |
| Hawaii | $84K | +7% | 60 |
| Arizona | $84K | +6% | 270 |
| Indiana | $80K | +1% | 440 |
| Washington | $80K | +1% | 520 |
| Minnesota | $80K | +1% | 750 |
| Illinois | $79K | +1% | 820 |
| South Carolina | $79K | +0% | 90 |
| Maine | $78K | -1% | 30 |
| New York | $78K | -1% | 260 |
| Nebraska | $78K | -2% | 640 |
| North Carolina | $76K | -3% | 570 |
| Missouri | $76K | -4% | 220 |
| Colorado | $75K | -4% | 460 |
| Montana | $74K | -6% | 230 |
| Virginia | $74K | -6% | 140 |
| South Dakota | $74K | -7% | 480 |
| Mississippi | $73K | -8% | 100 |
| Nevada | $71K | -9% | 90 |
| Pennsylvania | $71K | -11% | 200 |
| Massachusetts | $70K | -11% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $69K | -12% | 90 |
| Connecticut | $68K | -14% | 200 |
| Kentucky | $67K | -15% | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $66K | -16% | 680 |
| Kansas | $66K | -17% | 380 |
| Michigan | $65K | -17% | 570 |
| North Dakota | $65K | -17% | 410 |
| Delaware | $65K | -17% | 60 |
| Georgia | $65K | -17% | 210 |
| Oklahoma | $64K | -19% | 100 |
| Alabama | $63K | -20% | 110 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -21% | 370 |
| Louisiana | $60K | -24% | 170 |
| Utah | $60K | -24% | 90 |
| Vermont | $58K | -26% | N/A |
| Ohio | $57K | -28% | 320 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -29% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track soil and plant scientists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a soil and plant scientist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 40% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,519/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for soil and plant scientists in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new soil and plant scientists typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,387/month. At HUD’s $1,519/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is soil and plant scientist a high-paying job in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $57K here vs. $79K nationally.
How does Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood compare to the national average for soil and plant scientists?
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do soil and plant scientists make in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI?
The median is $57,160 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,780, and experienced soil and plant scientists can clear $120,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,795/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,519/month, which eats 40% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a soil and plant scientists salary go in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood has a Regional Price Parity of 95.55 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median soil and plant scientists salary is worth about $59,822 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do soil and plant scientists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.