Agricultural technician to soil scientist
An agricultural technician already meets 24% of what the soil scientist role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.
76.8/ 100
1 How much of what a soil scientist is expected to do is already part of an agricultural technician’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the soil scientist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A soil scientist role treats 4 of its required skills as things an agricultural technician already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply safety procedures in laboratory
- gather experimental data
- soil science
- write work-related reports
What stands in the way is 10 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A soil scientist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an agricultural technician background worth leading with.
- already held inspect agricultural fields information skills
- already held advise on fertiliser and herbicide communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held soil science natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held sustainable agricultural production principles agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary
- already held plant harvest methods agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary
- already held agricultural equipment agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary
All 12 carried skills, including the 4 the soil scientist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 42 missing skills fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn crop production principles required
- still to learn soil structure required
- optional, not held agroforestry optional
- optional, not held conservation agriculture optional
- optional, not held irrigation systems optional
- optional, not held plant propagation optional
- optional, not held agronomical production principles optional
- optional, not held agronomy optional
- optional, not held fertilisation principles optional
- still to learn ecology required
- still to learn geology required
- optional, not held habitat restoration optional
- optional, not held hydrology optional
- optional, not held climate change impact optional
- still to learn conduct soil sample tests required
- optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
- optional, not held record survey data optional
- optional, not held develop scientific research protocols optional
- optional, not held perform scientific research optional
- optional, not held prepare surveying report optional
- still to learn advise on nature conservation required
- optional, not held advise on soil and water protection optional
- optional, not held implement biodiversity action plans optional
- optional, not held liaise with crop growers optional
- optional, not held advise on pollution prevention optional
- still to learn soil mechanics required
- optional, not held surveying methods optional
- optional, not held environmental engineering optional
- optional, not held pollution prevention optional
- optional, not held surveying optional
- still to learn perform laboratory tests required
- optional, not held operate surveying instruments optional
- optional, not held adjust surveying equipment optional
5 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a soil scientist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 European pesticide legislation study this
- 02 advise on nature conservation practise this
- 03 conduct soil sample tests practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 12 skills that carry over
- already held apply safety procedures in laboratory skill
- already held gather experimental data skill
- already held soil science knowledge
- already held write work-related reports skill
- already held advise on fertiliser and herbicide skill
- already held agricultural equipment knowledge
- already held biology knowledge
- already held conduct field work skill
- already held inspect agricultural fields skill
- already held laboratory techniques knowledge
- already held plant harvest methods knowledge
- already held sustainable agricultural production principles knowledge
The 5 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn European pesticide legislation required
- optional, not held environmental legislation optional
- still to learn scientific literature required
- optional, not held apply sustainable tillage techniques optional
- optional, not held collect samples optional
- optional, not held ensure soil fertility optional
- optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional
- optional, not held develop irrigation strategies optional
- optional, not held government policy optional
32 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held advise on soil and water protection optional
- optional, not held agroforestry optional
- optional, not held apply sustainable tillage techniques optional
- optional, not held collect samples optional
- optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
- optional, not held conservation agriculture optional
- optional, not held develop irrigation strategies optional
- optional, not held ensure soil fertility optional
- optional, not held habitat restoration optional
- optional, not held hydrology optional
- optional, not held implement biodiversity action plans optional
- optional, not held irrigation systems optional
- optional, not held liaise with crop growers optional
- optional, not held operate surveying instruments optional
- optional, not held plant propagation optional
- optional, not held record survey data optional
- optional, not held surveying methods optional
- optional, not held adjust surveying equipment optional
- optional, not held advise on pollution prevention optional
- optional, not held agronomical production principles optional
- optional, not held agronomy optional
- optional, not held climate change impact optional
- optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional
- optional, not held develop scientific research protocols optional
- optional, not held environmental engineering optional
- optional, not held environmental legislation optional
- optional, not held fertilisation principles optional
- optional, not held government policy optional
- optional, not held perform scientific research optional
- optional, not held pollution prevention optional
- optional, not held prepare surveying report optional
- optional, not held surveying optional
31 held skills the soil scientist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on crop diseases skill
- not needed by the target role aeroponics knowledge
- not needed by the target role agricultural chemicals knowledge
- not needed by the target role agricultural raw materials, seeds and animal feed products knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse environmental data skill
- not needed by the target role analyse scientific data skill
- not needed by the target role analyse test data skill
- not needed by the target role aquaculture industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role aquaculture reproduction knowledge
- not needed by the target role assess crop damage skill
- not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role collect weather-related data skill
- not needed by the target role culture aquaculture hatchery stocks skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate vineyard problems skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate vineyard quality skill
- not needed by the target role execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
- not needed by the target role horticulture principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role hydroponics knowledge
- not needed by the target role integrated food-energy systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role irrigate soil skill
- not needed by the target role maintain aquaculture containers skill
- not needed by the target role maintain laboratory equipment skill
- not needed by the target role maintain tanks for viticulture skill
- not needed by the target role maintain waterbased aquaculture facilities skill
- not needed by the target role manage crop production skill
- not needed by the target role monitor crops skill
- not needed by the target role monitor fisheries skill
- not needed by the target role prevent crop disorders skill
- not needed by the target role provide advice to farmers skill
- not needed by the target role research improvement of crop yields skill
- not needed by the target role viticulture knowledge
23 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn European pesticide legislation required
- still to learn crop production principles required
- still to learn soil mechanics required
- still to learn soil structure required
- still to learn ecology required
- still to learn geology required
- still to learn scientific literature required
- optional, not held agroforestry optional
- optional, not held conservation agriculture optional
- optional, not held habitat restoration optional
- optional, not held hydrology optional
- optional, not held irrigation systems optional
- optional, not held plant propagation optional
- optional, not held surveying methods optional
- optional, not held agronomical production principles optional
- optional, not held agronomy optional
- optional, not held climate change impact optional
- optional, not held environmental engineering optional
- optional, not held environmental legislation optional
- optional, not held fertilisation principles optional
- optional, not held government policy optional
- optional, not held pollution prevention optional
- optional, not held surveying optional
Common questions about this move
Can an agricultural technician become a soil scientist?
Yes, and it is a career change move. An agricultural technician already covers 24% of what a soil scientist is expected to do: 12 skills carry over, 4 of which the soil scientist role treats as required.
What skills does an agricultural technician need to become a soil scientist?
10 required skills are missing, plus 32 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary. The single most important is European pesticide legislation.
How hard is the move from agricultural technician to soil scientist?
Its learning distance is 76.8 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.