One offset for reducing anthropogenic C emissions is through soil C sequestration in agricultural systems which could lead to a carbon market. To properly assess soil C sequestration rates and calculate carbon payments, soil C levels must be measured, monitored, and verified. This is a challenging task, as existing soil C levels (and rates of sequestration) often vary significantly within a field. Detecting low rates of C change against a high background of variability is challenging, since the levels of soil C within a field often can vary more than the expected rate of change over a contract period. Recently, a Gold Standard for soil C measurements has been proposed by the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University. This standard outlines a sampling protocol that stipulates achieving a 90% confidence interval for soil C measurements. Depending on the within-field variability in carbon, the sampling costs associated with achieving this level of accuracy could significantly reduce the value for soil carbon payments. Soil measurements using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) have been shown to relate closely to soil carbon levels, and a mobile NIR system has been commercialized for rapid field-scale mapping of the soil C variations within a field. To assess the feasibility of using NIR measurements to reduce soil sampling and analysis costs, a multi-field study provided an analysis of costs and accuracy associated with NIR compared to the standard dry-combustion technique. Various sampling strategies were utilized and results compared based on accuracy and costs.