# SOC 19-1013: Soil and Plant Scientists

> Occupation profile: https://www.xh1b.org/soc/19-1013

Employers filed 5,843 certified H-1B applications for Soil and Plant Scientists (19-1013) roles, requesting 5,886 workers. The average offered wage is $61,059/yr, 23% below the BLS national median ($78,850/yr). (2025, SOC 19-1013) The largest filers are University of California, Davis, Monsanto Company and North Carolina State University.

| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total filings | 5,843 |
| Total workers | 5,886 |
| Average offered wage | $61K |
| Average prevailing wage | $50K |
| BLS median wage | $79K |
| Latest BLS year in scope | 2025 |
| Profile benchmark SOC | 19-1013 |
| BLS area | U.S. |

Filing wage badges use the latest national BLS median. Their detail shows the benchmark code and year. A mapped comparator can use a different occupation from the direct-code profile benchmark above. It is a screening comparison, not a claim that the occupations are identical.

| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Offered vs BLS benchmark | -23% |

## Top employers (of 691)

| Employer | Filings | Workers | Avg wage | BLS median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [University of California, Davis](https://www.xh1b.org/org/university-of-california-davis-dee872196e) | 352 | 352 | $60K | $79K |
| [Monsanto Company](https://www.xh1b.org/org/monsanto-company-38ccfb911a) | 283 | 283 | $85K | $79K |
| [North Carolina State University](https://www.xh1b.org/org/north-carolina-state-university-cca682303f) | 203 | 203 | $51K | $79K |
| [Washington State University](https://www.xh1b.org/org/washington-state-university-4dfa42db77) | 170 | 170 | $51K | $79K |
| [Michigan State University](https://www.xh1b.org/org/michigan-state-university-517b58f00c) | 161 | 161 | $53K | $79K |
| [University of Florida](https://www.xh1b.org/org/university-of-florida-02142d5d6a) | 158 | 158 | $57K | $79K |
| [Texas A&M Agrilife Research](https://www.xh1b.org/org/texas-am-agrilife-research-69c555a811) | 135 | 135 | $55K | $79K |
| [Iowa State University of Science and Technology](https://www.xh1b.org/org/iowa-state-university-of-science-and-tec-8f109b4565) | 132 | 132 | $51K | $79K |
| [North Dakota State University](https://www.xh1b.org/org/north-dakota-state-university-22343b5826) | 130 | 130 | $49K | $79K |
| [Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska](https://www.xh1b.org/org/board-of-regents-of-the-university-of-ne-a3aba12dd3) | 122 | 122 | $55K | $79K |

## Filing trend

| Year | Filings | Workers | Median offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 8 | 8 | $42K |
| 2010 | 139 | 139 | $44K |
| 2011 | 474 | 476 | $41K |
| 2012 | 403 | 405 | $46K |
| 2013 | 403 | 412 | $46K |
| 2014 | 385 | 395 | $48K |
| 2015 | 390 | 402 | $45K |
| 2016 | 352 | 360 | $49K |
| 2017 | 341 | 342 | $53K |
| 2018 | 365 | 367 | $50K |
| 2019 | 378 | 378 | $56K |
| 2020 | 348 | 350 | $56K |
| 2021 | 325 | 327 | $55K |
| 2022 | 347 | 347 | $57K |
| 2023 | 340 | 340 | $60K |
| 2024 | 395 | 395 | $65K |
| 2025 | 360 | 360 | $66K |
| 2026 | 106 | 106 | $70K |

## State filing trends (2015 to 2026)

| State | Total filings | 2026 filings | 2026 filings per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| [California](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ca) | 774 | 23 | 0.1 |
| [Missouri](https://www.xh1b.org/state/mo) | 304 | 10 | 0.2 |
| [Texas](https://www.xh1b.org/state/tx) | 277 | 8 | 0.0 |
| [North Carolina](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nc) | 225 | 5 | 0.0 |
| [New York](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ny) | 165 | 3 | 0.0 |
| [Iowa](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ia) | 158 | 4 | 0.1 |
| [Florida](https://www.xh1b.org/state/fl) | 151 | 4 | 0.0 |
| [Indiana](https://www.xh1b.org/state/in) | 141 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Michigan](https://www.xh1b.org/state/mi) | 137 | 8 | 0.1 |
| [Washington](https://www.xh1b.org/state/wa) | 136 | 5 | 0.1 |
| [Minnesota](https://www.xh1b.org/state/mn) | 118 | 5 | 0.1 |
| [North Dakota](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nd) | 118 | 2 | 0.3 |
| [Georgia](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ga) | 117 | 2 | 0.0 |
| [Nebraska](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ne) | 110 | 3 | 0.1 |
| [Oregon](https://www.xh1b.org/state/or) | 106 | 4 | 0.1 |
| [Tennessee](https://www.xh1b.org/state/tn) | 99 | 2 | 0.0 |
| [Pennsylvania](https://www.xh1b.org/state/pa) | 89 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Colorado](https://www.xh1b.org/state/co) | 78 | 2 | 0.0 |
| [Wisconsin](https://www.xh1b.org/state/wi) | 77 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Kansas](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ks) | 75 | 2 | 0.1 |
| [Arkansas](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ar) | 74 | 3 | 0.1 |
| [New Jersey](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nj) | 73 | 3 | 0.0 |
| [Arizona](https://www.xh1b.org/state/az) | 67 | 3 | 0.0 |
| [Oklahoma](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ok) | 67 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Illinois](https://www.xh1b.org/state/il) | 60 | 2 | 0.0 |
| [Hawaii](https://www.xh1b.org/state/hi) | 55 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Ohio](https://www.xh1b.org/state/oh) | 49 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Maryland](https://www.xh1b.org/state/md) | 48 | 3 | 0.0 |
| [Kentucky](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ky) | 47 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Montana](https://www.xh1b.org/state/mt) | 46 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [South Carolina](https://www.xh1b.org/state/sc) | 40 | 2 | 0.0 |
| [Connecticut](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ct) | 38 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Massachusetts](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ma) | 34 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Mississippi](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ms) | 32 | 2 | 0.1 |
| [Idaho](https://www.xh1b.org/state/id) | 31 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Virginia](https://www.xh1b.org/state/va) | 31 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Alabama](https://www.xh1b.org/state/al) | 27 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Delaware](https://www.xh1b.org/state/de) | 26 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [New Mexico](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nm) | 22 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Utah](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ut) | 18 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Maine](https://www.xh1b.org/state/me) | 16 | 1 | 0.1 |
| [South Dakota](https://www.xh1b.org/state/sd) | 14 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Louisiana](https://www.xh1b.org/state/la) | 12 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Wyoming](https://www.xh1b.org/state/wy) | 11 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Nevada](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nv) | 8 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Puerto Rico](https://www.xh1b.org/state/pr) | 8 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Vermont](https://www.xh1b.org/state/vt) | 7 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Alaska](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ak) | 6 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [District of Columbia](https://www.xh1b.org/state/dc) | 4 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [New Hampshire](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nh) | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [West Virginia](https://www.xh1b.org/state/wv) | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |


Per 100k residents uses the U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimate for that state and year; years after the latest published estimate carry that estimate forward. The latest filing year may be a partial period.

## More

- Full page (charts, tables, interactive): https://www.xh1b.org/soc/19-1013
- JSON API: https://www.xh1b.org/api/soc-employers?code=19-1013
- JSON API: https://www.xh1b.org/api/soc-filings?code=19-1013


## References

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1. Dataset documentation · DOL OFLC. [LCA public disclosure record layout (FY2026 Q3)](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/oflc/pdfs/FY26Q3/LCA_Record_Layout_FY2026_Q3.pdf). Pages 1–4: application, DOL outcome and dates, requested positions, employer, representatives, worksites and pay units. This layout covers determinations issued October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. It documents employer-provided application fields and DOL decisions, not USCIS decisions, payroll verification, legal bills or worker-linked moves. Older layouts can differ. Checked 2026-10-17.

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2. Dataset documentation · BLS. [OEWS technical notes (May 2025)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_tec.htm). Scope of the survey; occupational coding; concepts and estimation methodology. Documents occupation and geographic wage estimates, not an individual worker’s pay. Use the estimate year and geography stated by the site; older releases can differ. Checked 2026-10-17.

<a id="reference-data-lca-data-bls-data-soc-system-calculation-method-indicators-method-soc-system"></a>

3. Guidance · BLS. [Standard Occupational Classification](https://www.bls.gov/soc/finding_soc_code.htm). Classification Principles 1–2 and Coding Guideline 2; job duties, not job titles. Checked 2026-10-08.

<a id="reference-data-lca-data-bls-data-soc-system-calculation-method-indicators-method-calculation-method"></a>
<a id="reference-data-lca-data-bls-data-soc-system-calculation-method-indicators-method-indicators-method"></a>

4. XH1B method or registry · XH1B. [Calculation and Matching Methods; Reading Public Records and Derived Indicators](https://www.xh1b.org/data-sources). Filing units, annualization, weighting, wage comparisons, and inference limits; Reading records: units, source coverage, wage gaps, entity links, and inference limits. These are the site's review methods, not validated predictions of wrongdoing. Inspect underlying records and alternative explanations.