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Soil technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a soil technician. Soil technicians usually study geology, environmental science, or biology. 63% of soil technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 489 real soil technician resumes to see exactly what soil technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for soil technicians are the San Diego State University and the San Diego State University.

There are also many online soil technician courses to help get the education required to be a soil technician.

What education do you need to become a soil technician?

What degree do you need to be a soil technician?

The most common degree for soil technicians is bachelor's degree, with 63% of soil technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Associate, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 13%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a soil technician?

You should major in geology to become a soil technician. 21% of soil technicians major in geology. Other common majors for a soil technician include environmental science and biology.

Most common colleges for soil technicians

Soil technicians often get their degrees at San Diego State University, Utah State University, and University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Here are the most common colleges for soil technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Soil technician common collegePercentages
San Diego State University9.26%
Utah State University7.41%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point7.41%
Utah Valley University5.56%
California State University - Fullerton5.56%

Best majors for soil technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Geology21.3%
2Environmental Science13.7%
3Biology8.2%
4Civil Engineering8.2%
5Business7.7%

Best colleges for soil technicians

The best colleges for soil technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A soil technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for soil technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become soil technicians.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Princeton University

Princeton, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$50,340

Enrollment

5,301

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

10. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

20 best online courses for soil technicians

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1. Population, Food, and Soil

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This course explores the population-environment relationship. In this course, you will learn about the human population and the ways in which changes in the population affect the environment. Agriculture, soils, and the environmental implications of eating meat, vegetables, local, organic, sustainable, industrial, and other types of food are discussed too. We explore questions such as: 1. How many people live on Earth right now? 2. What is the carrying capacity of Earth? 3. What is the...

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20. Microsoft Excel for Construction Management

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Top 10 most affordable universities for soil technicians

The most affordable schools for soil technicians are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and minot state university.

If the best universities for soil technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for soil technicians.

1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

4. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for soil technicians

The hardest universities for soil technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for soil technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for soil technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Amherst College

Amherst, MA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,449

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,465

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

9. Hamilton College

Clinton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

21%

SAT average

1,446

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for soil technicians

The easiest schools for soil technicians to get into are Wayland Baptist University, kean university, and pennsylvania state university - dubois.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a soil technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for soil technicians.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

3. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois

DuBois, PA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,079

4. Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania

Lock Haven, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

1,020

5. Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,073

6. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

7. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

8. University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,050

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

Average soil technician salary by education level

Soil technicians with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $38,856 annually. With a Master's degree, soil technicians earn a median annual income of $36,127 compared to $34,509 for soil technicians with an Bachelor's degree.
Soil technician education levelSoil technician salary
Master's Degree$36,127
Bachelor's Degree$34,509
Doctorate Degree$38,856

Soil technician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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