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Soil Scientist salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a soil scientist is $96,200 per annum, before tax, up $20,500 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay varies more by employer than by job title.
- Government and university roles follow fixed classification scales, while environmental and mining consultancies pay more for project work, remote placements and specialist skills such as contaminated site assessment.
- A postgraduate qualification and a recognised speciality are the two things that most reliably lift a soil scientist's pay.
The median salary rose by $20,500 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than soil scientist
The largest typical pay rise is $55,300 a year, moving into Geologist.
- Geologist+$55,300/yr
- Agronomist+$11,600/yr
- Hydrologist+$10,400/yr
How to negotiate a higher soil scientist salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time soil scientist salary is $96,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Field research and sampling and Laboratory analysis tend to command a premium over general soil scientist experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Geologist pays a typical $55,300 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Soil Scientist salary questions
How much do soil scientists earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a soil scientist is $96,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is soil scientist pay rising or falling?
The median soil scientist salary is up $20,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than soil scientist?
Geologist pays a typical $55,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to soil scientist.
Related salaries
- Agronomist salary
- Hydrologist salary
- Environmental Scientist salary
- Geologist salary
- Botanist salary
- Agricultural Technician salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.