How much do Soil and Plant Scientists make in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

Percentile spread

For Soil and Plant Scientists, the published 10th percentile is $44,070 and the 90th percentile is $146,360. The difference is $102,290, which is 125.4% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $51,920 to the 75th at $106,720, covers $54,800.

The mean annual wage is $88,490, which sits above the median of $81,570. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA median is 3.4% higher than the national median of $78,850 for Soil and Plant Scientists. In 2024 national prices the local median is $75,113, which is 4.7% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 11.3% lower than the California median of $91,930.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA is 108.596, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $81,570 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Soil and Plant Scientists at $75,113 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

7 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Soil and Plant Scientists. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA ranks 7th of 8 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Salinas, CA is 76 miles away, with a median of $115,910 and employment of 30. That median is 42.1% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $106,298, against $75,113 here.
• Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA is 103 miles away, with a median of $96,480. That median is 18.3% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $87,285, against $75,113 here.
• Fresno, CA is 112 miles away, with a median of $100,050 and employment of 90. That median is 22.7% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $97,937, against $75,113 here.

Employment share

Soil and Plant Scientists accounts for 0.02% of wage-and-salary employment in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA (30 of 122,020). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (15,730 of 155,495,730). The local share is 2.43 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.