Plant Sciences degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in plant sciences earn a median $56,448 four years after finishing, across 44 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in plant science and agronomy earn $55,839, $6,210 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (8%).
Median across 44 colleges; middle half $51,399–$61,397.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $36,661–$77,561. 859 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Plant Science And Agronomy"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$20,201/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs plant sciences graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in plant science and agronomy actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers | 8% | $89,900 | -3.4% | High school diploma or equivalent | ERC |
| Other Agricultural Workers | 7% | — | — | — | — |
| Agricultural And Food Scientists | 7% | $81,970 | +6.4% | — | — |
| Other Managers | 5% | — | — | — | — |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale And Manufacturing | 4% | $76,460 | — | — | — |
| Landscaping And Groundskeeping Workers | 3% | $39,150 | +4.7% | No formal educational credential | RC |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Landscaping, Lawn Service, And Groundskeeping Workers | 2% | $58,430 | +4.0% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECR |
| Pest Control Workers | 2% | $45,250 | +5.5% | High school diploma or equivalent | RC |
These 8 jobs account for 40% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Plant Sciences earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| California | $72,335 (5) | — |
| Missouri | $56,265 (3) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $48,031 (3) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where plant sciences graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 1 in Florida, 1 in Virginia, 8 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $82,487 | $16,666 |
| 2 | California State University-FresnoCA | $77,034 | $13,000 |
| 3 | University of California-DavisCA | $72,335 | — |
| 4 | California State University-ChicoCA | $68,629 | $15,000 |
| 5 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCA | $66,714 | $13,500 |
| 6 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVA | $56,630 | $20,687 |
| 7 | University of FloridaFL | $53,270 | $12,281 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Plant Sciences degree questions
How much do Plant Sciences graduates make?
Plant Sciences graduates earn a median $56,448 four years after finishing, across 44 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $51,399 to $61,397; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in plant science and agronomy, the median is $55,839 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Plant Sciences degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in plant science and agronomy earn a median $55,839: $6,210 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $20,201 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Plant Sciences graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in plant science and agronomy, the most common jobs are farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (8%), other agricultural workers (7%), agricultural and food scientists (7%). Farmers, Ranchers, And Other Agricultural Managers earn a U.S. median $89,900.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Plant Sciences degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/plant-sciences.