Plant Breeder
Develop new crop varieties with better traits
About the profession
Plant breeders design and run the long-cycle selection programs behind modern crops — blending classical genetics, marker-assisted selection, and patient field work across seasons.
How to Get Started
Take a personality test to see if Plant Breeder fits your profile
Career Match Test →Explore the Career Path section to see progression from junior to senior
Jump to Career Path →Start learning — check the Learning Path for free courses
Jump to Learning Path →Career Path
Your career progression roadmap with salary growth at each level
Career Ladder
Junior Plant Breeder → Plant Breeder → Senior Plant Breeder → Program Lead
Where are you on this career path?
Click a level below to set your current position
Salary Growth
4
Levels
180K
Top Salary
8+
Years
Learning Path
Skills you need to develop and courses to get there
🚀
Set your current level first
Go to the Career Path tab and select your current level to see your personalized learning plan.
Go to Career PathCareer levels
Timeline: 0-2 | Entry Level Base: $75,000 - $101,000/year With equity/bonuses: $82,500 - $121,200 Top markets (SF/NYC): $86,000 - $121,000 Execute core tasks using Genetics under…
Day in Life
Junior vs Senior — daily schedule breakdown
9am — Review priorities and respond to urgent items 10am — Team standup and progress check 11am — Deep work using Genetics 1pm — Cross-functional meeting with stakeholders 3pm —…
Income Dynamics
Conservative and aggressive scenarios for 10–15 years
Year 1: Entry level $52,500 - $67,500 Year 2-3: Junior level $75,000 - $105,750 Year 4-6: Mid level $105,750 - $132,750 Year 7-10: Senior level $132,750 - $164,250 Year 10+:…
Is this for me?
15 questions — answer honestly
You find the craft of a Plant Breeder genuinely interesting, not just a paycheck You enjoy working with Genetics and Field trials You communicate clearly with diverse stakeholders…
💰 Salary Range
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