Soil and Plant Scientists Salary
The median pay for a soil and plant scientists in Salinas, CA is $115,910/year ($55.73/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $168K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.04), so that salary is closer to $106,300 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,684/month, about 37.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $116K get you in Salinas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salinas’s Regional Price Parity (109.04). 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 Salinas
Salinas sits well above the national pay line for soil and plant scientists, local pay runs about 47% higher than the U.S. median of $79K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,684/month, which is 38.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.04), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for soil and plant scientists in metros near Salinas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $96K | $87K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $82K | $73K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $98K | $92K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $108K | $94K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salinas, CA
Entry-level soil and plant scientists (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $116K. Top earners bring in $168K or more, a $115K 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 with published data
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 Salinas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a soil and plant scientist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salinas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $116K, rent takes 38.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,684/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,100/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 Salinas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new soil and plant scientists typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,171/month. At HUD’s $2,684/month FMR, rent would take 85% 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 Salinas?
Local pay is 47% above the national median — $116K here vs. $79K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Salinas compare to the national average for soil and plant scientists?
Salinas pays $116K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s +47%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.04), the purchasing-power equivalent is $106K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do soil and plant scientists make in Salinas, CA?
The median is $115,910 a year, that works out to about $56 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,850, and experienced soil and plant scientists can clear $168,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $116K enough to live in Salinas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,918/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,684/month, which eats 38.8% 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 Salinas?
Salinas has a Regional Price Parity of 109.04 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median soil and plant scientists salary is worth about $106,300 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.