Soil and Plant Scientists Salary
The median pay for a soil and plant scientists in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR is $38,200/year ($18.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $53K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $38,200 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $663/month, or 25.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $38K get you in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas
Pay for soil and plant scientists in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas runs about 52% below the U.S. median of $79K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $663/month, 24.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas can be a reasonable trade-off for soil and plant scientistss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR
Entry-level soil and plant scientists (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $53K or more, a $15K 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a soil and plant scientist afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Yes — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 24.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $663/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for soil and plant scientists in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new soil and plant scientists typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,281/month. At HUD’s $663/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is soil and plant scientist a high-paying job in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Local pay runs 52% below the national median — $38K here vs. $79K nationally.
How does San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas compare to the national average for soil and plant scientists?
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -52%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do soil and plant scientists make in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR?
The median is $38,200 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,020, and experienced soil and plant scientists can clear $53,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,728/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $663/month, which eats 24.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a soil and plant scientists salary go in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median soil and plant scientists salary is worth about $38,200 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.
