In the analysis of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), the role spectroscopic and non-spectroscopic techniques play are inseparable. Therefore, spectroscopic techniques cannot be discussed in isolation. In this report, spectroscopic techniques including Raman, fluorescence, infrared, visible-near-infrared spectroscopies, as well as mass spectroscopy (coupled to a gas chromatograph), and non-spectroscopic techniques such as gravimetric, immunoassay and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection are reviewed. To bridge the perceived gap in coverage of the quantitative applications of the vis-NIR spectroscopy in the rapid determination of TPHs and PAHs in soils, a detailed review of studies from the period 1999-2012 are presented. This report also highlights the strength and limitations of these techniques and evaluates their performance from the perspectives of their attributes of general applicability, namely: economic, portability, operational time, accuracy, and occupational health and safety considerations. Overall, the fluorescence spectroscopic technique had the best performance (85% total score) in comparison to others, while the gravimetric technique performed the least (60% total score). Method-specific solutions geared towards performance improvement have also been suggested.