The following is a list of modern Boy Scouts of America merit badges. Merit badges in bold are required for scouts desiring the rank of Eagle. Links are to the official requirements on the Merit Badge Research Center, and are followed by the year the badge was instituted.
- American Business 1967
- American Cultures 1979
- American Heritage 1975
- American Labor 1987
- Animal Science 1975
- Archaeology 1997
- Archery 1911
- Architecture 1911
- Art 1911
- Astronomy 1911
- Athletics 1911
- Atomic Energy 1963
- Auto Mechanics 1992
- Aviation 1911 (though see below)
- Backpacking 1982
- Basketry 1927
- Bird Study 1914
- Bugling (shares merit badge pamphlet with Music merit badge) 1911
- Camping 1911
- Canoeing 1927
- Chemistry 1911
- Cinematography 1990
- Citizenship in the Community 1952
- Citizenship in the Nation 1951
- Citizenship in the World 1972
- Climbing 1997
- Coin Collecting 1938
- Collections 1991
- Communications 1965
- Computers 1967
- Cooking 1911
- Crime Prevention 1996
- Cycling 1911 (alternative to Hiking or Swimming)
- Dentistry 1975
- Disabilities Awareness 1993
- Dog Care 1938
- Drafting 1965
- Electricity 1911
- Electronics 1963
- Emergency Preparedness 1972 (alternative to Lifesaving)
- Energy 1976
- Engineering 1967
- Entrepreneurship 1997
- Environmental Science 1972
- Family Life 1991
- Farm Mechanics 1928
- Fingerprinting 1938
- Fire Safety 1995
- First Aid 1911
- Fish and Wildlife Management 1972
- Fishing 1952
- Fly Fishing 2002
- Forestry 1911
- Gardening 1911
- Genealogy 1972
- Geology 1953
- Golf 1976
- Graphic Arts 1987
- Hiking 1921 (alternative to Cycling or Swimming)
- Home Repairs 1943
- Horsemanship 1911
- Indian Lore 1931
- Insect Study 1985
- Journalism 1927
- Landscape Architecture 1967
- Law 1974
- Leatherwork 1951
- Lifesaving 1911 (alternative to Emergency Preparedness)
- Mammal Study 1985
- Medicine 1991
- Metalwork 1927
- Model Design and Building 1963
- Motorboating 1961
- Music (shares merit badge pamphlet with Bugling merit badge) 1911
- Nature 1952
- Oceanography 1964
- Orienteering 1973
- Painting 1911
- Personal Fitness 1952
- Personal Management 1972
- Pets 1958
- Photography 1911
- Pioneering 1911
- Plant Science 1974
- Plumbing 1911
- Pottery 1927
- Public Health 1911
- Public Speaking 1932
- Pulp and Paper 1972
- Radio 1923
- Railroading 1952
- Reading 1929
- Reptile and Amphibian Study 1993
- Rifle Shooting 1988
- Rowing 1933
- Safety 1927
- Salesmanship 1927
- Scholarship 1911
- Sculpture 1911
- Shotgun Shooting 1988
- Skating 1973
- Small-Boat Sailing 1964
- Snow Sports 1999
- Soil and Water Conservation 1952
- Space Exploration 1965
- Sports 1972
- Stamp Collecting 1932
- Surveying 1911
- Swimming 1911 (alternative to Cycling or Hiking)
- Textile 1973
- Theater 1967
- Traffic Safety 1975
- Truck Transportation 1973
- Veterinary Medicine 1995
- Water Skiing 1969
- Weather 1927
- Whitewater 1987
- Wilderness Survival 1987
- Wood Carving 1923
- Woodwork 1923
- Aerodynamics and Aeronautics merit badges instituted in 1941, replacing Aviation, which was then brought back in 1952, replacing both badges
- Agribusiness 1987-1995
- Beekeeping 1995 (replaced Bee Keeping)
- Agriculture 1911-1975 (replaced by Animal Science and Plant Science)
- Airplane Design and Airplane Structure merit badges 1942-1952, then replaced by Aviation
- Ambulance 1910-1911 (replaced by First Aid)
- Angling 1911-1951 (replaced by Fishing and Fly Fishing)
- Animal Industry 1928-1975 (replaced by Animal Science)
- Automobiling (1911-1963) and Automotive Safety (1962-1974) were replaced by Traffic Safety in 1975
- Bee Keeping 1915-1955
- Beef Production 1928-1975 (replaced by Animal Science)
- Beefarming 1911-1914
- Beekeeping 1956-1995
- Blacksmithing 1911-1952
- Bookbinding 1927-1987 (replaced Craftsmanship)
- Botany 1921-1995
- Business 1911-1966 (replaced Clerk, replaced by American Business and Entrepreneurship)
- Carpentry 1911-1952
- Cement Work 1927-1952
- Consumer Buying 1995
- Citizenship 1947-1951 (replaced Civics and World Brotherhood, replaced by Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the Home)
- Citizenship in the Home 1952-1972 (replaced Citizenship, replaced by Family Life)
- Citrus Fruit Culture 1931-1952
- Civics 1911-1946
- Clerk 1910-1911 (replaced by Business)
- Conservation 1911-1952 (replaced by Conservation of Natural Resources and Wildlife Management)
- Conservation of Natural Resources 1966-1972 (replaced Conservation, replaced by Environmental Science)
- Consumer Buying 1975-1995
- Corn Farming 1928-1975 (replaced by Plant Science)
- Cotton Farming 1931-1975 (replaced by Plant Science)
- Craftsmanship 1911-1927 (replaced by Basketry, Bookbinding, Cement Work, Leathercraft, Metalwork, Pottery, Wood Carving and Woodwork)
- Cyclist 1910-1911 (replaced by Cycling)
- Dairying 1911-1975 (replaced by Animal Science)
- Dramatics 1932-1966 (replaced by Theatre)
- Electrician 1910-1911 (replaced by Electricity)
- Farm and Ranch Management 1980-1987 (replaced Farm Records)
- Farm Arrangement 1960-1973 (replaced Farm Home and Its Planning, replaced by Farm Arrangements)
- Farm Arrangements 1974-1979 (replaced Farm Arrangement)
- Farm Home and Its Planning 1928-1959 (replaced by Farm Arrangement)
- Farm Records and Bookkeeping 1928-1958 (replaced by Farm Records)
- Farm Records 1959-1980 (replaced Farm Records and Bookkeeping, replaced by Farm and Ranch Management)
- Fireman 1910-1911 (replaced by Firemanship)
- Firemanship 1911-1995 (replaced Fireman, replaced by Fire Safety)
- First Aid to Animals 1911-1972 (replaced by Veterinary Science)
- Food Systems 1978-1987 (replaced Agriculture)
- Forage Crops 1959-1975 (replaced Grasses, Legumes and Forage Crops, replaced by Plant Science)
- Foundry Practice 1923-1952
- Fruit and Nut Growing 1953-1975 (replaced Fruit Culture and Nut Culture, replaced by Plant Science)
- Fruit Culture 1928-1952 (replaced by Fruit and Nut Growing)
- Gardener 1910-1911 (replaced by Gardening)
- General Science 1972-1995 (replaced Zoology)
- Grasses, Legumes and Forage Crops 1938-1958 (replaced by Forage Crops)
- Handicap Awareness 1985-1993 (replaced Handicapped Awareness, replaced by Disabilities Awareness)
- Handicapped Awareness 1980-1984 (replaced Handicap Awareness)
- Handicraft 1911-1942 (replaced by Home Repairs)
- Hog and Pork Production 1928-1958 (replaced by Hog Production)
- Hog Production 1959-1975 (replaced Hog and Pork Production, replaced by Animal Science)
- Horseman 1910-1911 (replaced by Horsemanship)
- Insect Life 1923-1984 (replaced by Insect Study)
- Interpreting 1911-1952
- Invention 1911-1917
- Landscape Gardening 1930-1958 (replaced Landscaping, replaced by Landscape Architecture)
- Landscaping 1959-1966 (replaced by Landscape Gardening)
- Leather Work 1928-1951 (replaced Leatherworking, replaced by Leatherwork)
- Leathercraft 1927-1952 (replaced Craftsmanship)
- Leatherworking 1911-1927 (replaced by Leather Work)
- Machinery 1911-1995
- Mammals 1972-1984 (replaced by Mammal Study)
- Marksman 1910-1911 (replaced by Marksmanship)
- Marksmanship 1911-1966 (replaced Marksman, replaced by Rifle and Shotgun Shooting)
- Masonry 1995
- Masonry 1911-1995
- Master-At-Arms 1910-1911
- Mechanical Drawing 1933-1964 (replaced by Drafting)
- Metallurgy 1965-1971 (replaced by Metals Engineering)
- Metals Engineering 1995 (replaced Metallurgy)
- Mining 1911-1937 (replaced by Rocks and Minerals)
- Musician 1910-1911 (replaced by Music)
- Nut Culture 1928-1954 (replaced by Fruit and Nut Growing)
- Ornithology 1911-1913 (replaced by Bird Study)
- Pathfinding 1911-1952 (replaced by Pathfinding)
- Personal Finances 1962-1971 (replaced by Personal Management)
- Personal Health 1911-1952 (replaced by Personal Fitness)
- Physical Development 1914-1952 (replaced by Personal Fitness)
- Pigeon Raising 1933-1980
- Pioneer 1910-1911 (replaced by Pioneering)
- Poultry Farming 1911-1913 (replaced by Poultry Keeping)
- Poultry Keeping 1914-1974 (replaced Poultry Farming, replaced by Animal Science)
- Printing 1911-1981
- Printing/Communication 1982-1987
- Rabbit Raising 1943-1993
- Reptile Study 1927-1993 (replaced Reptiles, replaced by Reptile and Amphibian Study)
- Reptiles 1923-1927 (replaced by Reptile Study)
- Rifle and Shotgun Shooting 1967-1987 (replaced Marksmanship, replaced by Rifle Shooting and Shotgun Shooting)
- Rocks and Minerals 1937-1953 (replaced Mining, replaced by Geology)
- Safety First 1916-1926 (replaced by Safety)
- Seaman 1910-1911 (replaced by Seamanship)
- Seamanship 1911-1964 (replaced by Small Boat Sailing)
- Sheep Farming 1928-1975 (replaced by Animal Science)
- Signaller 1910-1911 (replaced by Signalling)
- Signalling 1911-1991 (replaced Signaller)
- Skiing -- 1938-1999 (replaced by Snow Sports)
- Small Grains 1959-1975 (replaced Small Grains and Cereal Foods, replaced by Plant Science)
- Small Grains and Cereal Foods 1943-1958 (replaced by Small Grains)
- Soil Management 1928-1952 (replaced by Soil and Water Conservation)
- Stalker 1910-1911 (replaced by Stalking)
- Stalking 1911-1952 (replaced Stalker)
- Taxidermy 1911-1952
- Textiles 1927-1972 (replaced by Textile)
- Veterinary Science -- 1973-1995 (replaced First Aid to Animals, replaced by Veterinary Medicine)
- Wildlife Management 1952-1972 (replaced Conservation, replaced by Fish and Wildlife Management)
- Wireless 1919-1923 (replaced by Radio)
- Wood Turning 1930-1952
- World Brotherhood 1952-1972 (replaced by Citizenship and Citizenship in the World)
- Zoology 1930-1972 (replaced by General Science)