Compaction is becoming a greater concern in crop production and the environment because it can have deleterious effects on growing conditions that are difficult to remediate. Because compaction can vary considerably from point to point within a field, and also from depth to depth within the soil profile, it is important to consider quantification and management of the spatial and vertical variability in soil compaction when developing an overall site-specific crop management plan. In this paper, the importance of soil compaction, techniques for quantification of its variability, and the concept of site-specific tillage are examined. Methods and systems to detect within-field variation in soil strength as a surrogate measure of soil compaction and related soil properties are also compared and discussed. Quantification of variability in soil compaction and site-specific compaction management was motivated recently, and sensors and control systems are still under development. Future study will need to address a number of issues related to understanding and applying the sensor measurements.