Soil Scientist: What is a soil scientist? A soil scientist studies the upper few meters of the Earth’s crust in terms of its physical and chemical properties; distribution, genesis and morphology; and biological components. A soil scientist needs a strong background in the physical and biological sciences and mathematics. What does a soil scientist do? Soil scientists work for federal and state governments, universities, and the private sector. The job of a soil scientist includes collection of soil data, consultation, investigation, evaluation, interpretation, planning or inspection relating to soil science. This career includes many different assignments and involves making recommendations about many resource areas. Monitoring the effects of farm, ranch, or forest activities on soil productivity, giving technical advice used to help plan land management programs, and preparing reports describing land and soil characteristics.
* Education: Pass both the Fundamentals of Soil Science and Professional Practice Examinations
* Have at least 5 years experience with at least a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in soil science, 3 years with an MS or Ph.D.
* Document education and experience with transcripts and supporting references
Salary per Year: 41,000 – 80,000
Petroleum Engineer: After locating reservoirs of crude oil and natural gas, petroleum engineers find ways to bring those substances out of the ground for processing. The two primary ways of getting the reserves to the surface are "drilling" and "producing." Drilling creates a tunnel down to the oil and involves creating a system of pipes and valves to bring it up. When producing, petroleum engineers locate reserves that are already under pressure. If they don't erupt on their own, the engineers use their talents to coax the substances above ground. Petroleum engineering students take basic engineering courses before moving into more specialized classes like geology, well drilling,...