Soil Science Jobs in US Federal Agencies
Soil Science jobs in the Federal Government and how to prepare for them
This page has information about types of soil science jobs available through various parts of the US federal government, and recommendations for how to prepare for these jobs. The information below does not constitute exact job requirements and taking recommended courses does not guarantee your acceptance into these jobs. To look up exact job requirements, search for jobs here.
Before registering for courses, please always schedule a meeting with your advisor
What Federal Agencies offer Soil Scientist Jobs?
Below is a list of the government agencies that offer the most soil science jobs. Note that all of these agencies fall under the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). For an exhaustive list, search “soil” on the USA Jobs page.
What jobs are available at these agencies?
Below are links to career pages for each agency where you can find lists of jobs and other info about how to start a career at each agency:
Follow the links below to see the basic requirements for example jobs at the aforementioned government agencies. Jobs having the same title may be posted by multiple agencies. More experience may be preferred, such as extracurricular or on-the-job experience - please see USAJobs.gov.
Soil Science Series, 0470
Soil Conservation Series, 0457
Soil Conservation Technician Series 0458
To view more specific job qualifications such as required knowledge, skills and abilities or specialized experience, you will need to:
- Check General Schedule Qualification Standards under…
- Professional and Scientific Positions for the Soil Science Series 0470 and Soil Conservation Series (0457)
- Technical and Medical Support Positions for the Soil Conservation Technician Series (0458)
- Search for the above job titles, including their numbers, at https://www.usajobs.gov/ and read current job postings that interest you
The below courses cover the general knowledge areas required by the jobs listed above. Taking these courses will help you prepare for these jobs, but does not guarantee that you will get the aforementioned jobs.
It is expected that undergraduates take ENVS 200 Introduction to Soil Science beforehand. Please discuss with your advisor when to take these courses, as well as any prerequisites or other recommended preparation.
|
Course |
Credits |
|---|---|
|
ENVS 300 Soil Ecology |
3 |
|
ENVS 316 Soil Fertility |
3 |
|
ENVS 431 Soil Genesis & Classification |
4 |
|
ENVS 462 Environmental Soil & Water Chemistry |
3 |
|
ENVS 470 Soil Physics |
3 |
*ENVS 462 can substitute for Organic Chemistry in the SPS core. Or, it can be taken as part of the agronomy subplan. It cannot be counted towards both the core and subplan.
The 400-level courses above are also offered as 500-level courses for graduate students.
When submitting a job application, uploading course descriptions in a supplemental file is advised to ensure that course content is communicated clearly to application reviewers.
All of the courses listed can count towards either core requirements or subplans in the Environmental Science (ENVS) or Sustainable Plant Systems (SPS) majors. Within the ENVS major, most of the courses count towards the Soil, Air and Water (SAW) subplan, so keep this in mind when choosing your subplan. Please always consult with your advisor before choosing which courses to take when.
|
Course |
ENVS Subplans |
SPS subplans |
|---|---|---|
|
ENVS 300 Soil Ecology |
Soil, Air + Water (SAW) |
All (core) |
|
ENVS 316 Soil Fertility |
SAW | Biosphere |
All (core) |
|
ENVS 431 Soil Genesis & Classification |
SAW | Biosphere | Physical & Chemical Dynamics |
Agronomy |
|
ENVS 462 Environmental Soil & Water Chemistry* |
Core | Physical & Chemical Dynamics |
All (core) |
|
ENVS 470 Soil Physics |
SAW | Physical & Chemical Dynamics |
Agronomy |
*ENVS 462 can substitute for Organic Chemistry in the SPS core. Or, it can be taken as part of the agronomy subplan. It cannot be counted towards both the core and subplan.
The 400-level courses above are also offered as 500-level courses for graduate students.
For students in the Soil, Air Water (SAW) subplan, these courses appear in multiple places:
|
Course |
Where it appears in the ENVS Soil-Air-Water subplan |
|---|---|
|
ENVS 300 Soil Ecology |
Group 1, required |
|
ENVS 316 Soil fertility |
Group 1 (alternative to 300) or Group 2 |
|
ENVS 431 Soil Genesis & Classification |
Group 2, and group 1 alternative to 300 |
|
ENVS 462 Environmental Soil & Water Chemistry |
Core (alternative to 340 or 464) |
|
ENVS 470 Soil Physics |
Group 2 (+alternative to 300 in group 1) |
Consider becoming a Certified or Associate Professional Soil Scientist with the Soil Science Society of America. Certification is required for certain government jobs involving issuing of land and/or soil use permits, and can strengthen your resume for many other soil science-related jobs. More information on why you should become certified here, and check out the first steps to certification here.
Before registering for courses, please always schedule a meeting with your advisor