Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,510 | $17.07 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $48,570 | $23.35 |
| Mean (average) | $53,450 | $25.70 |
| 90th percentile | $77,860 | $37.44 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $40,010 | $28,130 | $63,060 | 13,120 | 1.62 |
| Alaska | $78,150 | $49,500 | $142,430 | 300 | 0.24 |
| Arizona | $52,100 | $39,210 | $77,720 | 11,120 | 0.89 |
| Arkansas | $44,570 | $33,890 | $61,910 | 5,880 | 1.17 |
| California | $54,300 | $38,750 | $88,210 | 61,130 | 0.87 |
| Colorado | $58,350 | $43,690 | $82,420 | 5,220 | 0.47 |
| Connecticut | $57,090 | $38,500 | $94,270 | 7,460 | 1.15 |
| Delaware | $57,190 | $37,570 | $80,650 | 1,020 | 0.55 |
| District of Columbia | $59,730 | $41,130 | $91,510 | 70 | 0.03 |
| Florida | $47,540 | $33,040 | $75,550 | 22,630 | 0.59 |
| Georgia | $46,130 | $33,860 | $71,450 | 19,980 | 1.06 |
| Guam | $44,160 | $24,320 | $58,770 | 50 | 0.21 |
| Hawaii | $59,740 | $36,040 | $93,460 | 650 | 0.27 |
| Idaho | $45,130 | $34,790 | $83,370 | 2,900 | 0.88 |
| Illinois | $47,920 | $36,220 | $75,030 | 31,700 | 1.35 |
| Indiana | $47,900 | $35,590 | $72,860 | 24,790 | 2.02 |
| Iowa | $50,740 | $39,160 | $71,240 | 7,230 | 1.21 |
| Kansas | $53,680 | $37,800 | $80,910 | 9,300 | 1.68 |
| Kentucky | $46,280 | $34,460 | $66,330 | 12,880 | 1.68 |
| Louisiana | $49,490 | $35,220 | $94,450 | 8,110 | 1.09 |
| Maine | $53,570 | $34,200 | $79,730 | 1,800 | 0.73 |
| Maryland | $61,790 | $37,440 | $99,220 | 4,600 | 0.43 |
| Massachusetts | $52,270 | $38,140 | $76,330 | 10,650 | 0.76 |
| Michigan | $44,490 | $34,240 | $64,010 | 27,980 | 1.65 |
| Minnesota | $57,170 | $42,030 | $76,510 | 9,710 | 0.86 |
| Mississippi | $40,670 | $30,840 | $65,480 | 6,970 | 1.56 |
| Missouri | $54,420 | $36,630 | $78,410 | 12,480 | 1.11 |
| Montana | $58,070 | $37,470 | $101,260 | 580 | 0.29 |
| Nebraska | $51,270 | $39,130 | $66,110 | 3,350 | 0.85 |
| Nevada | $49,280 | $35,530 | $98,700 | 4,040 | 0.68 |
| New Hampshire | $54,800 | $41,660 | $77,520 | 3,050 | 1.16 |
| New Jersey | $49,140 | $35,740 | $77,330 | 12,280 | 0.75 |
| New Mexico | $49,500 | $36,080 | $81,340 | 1,550 | 0.46 |
| New York | $49,990 | $37,190 | $77,930 | 19,790 | 0.53 |
| North Carolina | $46,430 | $31,590 | $71,770 | 19,700 | 1.04 |
| North Dakota | $50,820 | $40,500 | $81,560 | 1,800 | 1.09 |
| Ohio | $47,360 | $35,680 | $73,840 | 32,060 | 1.5 |
| Oklahoma | $49,630 | $35,680 | $75,980 | 7,430 | 1.13 |
| Oregon | $54,120 | $38,340 | $82,270 | 5,690 | 0.75 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,320 | $35,720 | $73,890 | 25,870 | 1.11 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,870 | $22,550 | $64,150 | 3,870 | 1.07 |
| Rhode Island | $54,940 | $37,400 | $88,710 | 1,790 | 0.93 |
| South Carolina | $46,890 | $35,010 | $70,430 | 13,360 | 1.51 |
| South Dakota | $47,240 | $37,930 | $64,070 | 1,090 | 0.62 |
| Tennessee | $45,760 | $34,110 | $66,340 | 17,140 | 1.36 |
| Texas | $46,210 | $32,200 | $78,560 | 56,390 | 1.04 |
| Utah | $48,910 | $37,640 | $77,930 | 6,630 | 0.99 |
| Vermont | $46,210 | $38,500 | $72,740 | 900 | 0.77 |
| Virgin Islands | $47,240 | $36,950 | $72,900 | 30 | 0.26 |
| Virginia | $49,590 | $36,210 | $76,390 | 9,830 | 0.62 |
| Washington | $64,420 | $40,830 | $115,240 | 12,010 | 0.88 |
| West Virginia | $47,010 | $30,500 | $80,930 | 2,720 | 1.01 |
| Wisconsin | $49,610 | $37,290 | $69,270 | 17,670 | 1.56 |
| Wyoming | $57,900 | $39,370 | $98,990 | 990 | 0.92 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 66,700. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.2%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Quality Control Technology/Technician CIP 15.0702
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Discard or reject products, materials, or equipment not meeting specifications.
- Mark items with details, such as grade or acceptance-rejection status.
- Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
- Notify supervisors or other personnel of production problems.
- Inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications.
- Write test or inspection reports describing results, recommendations, or needed repairs.
- Recommend necessary corrective actions, based on inspection results.
- Read dials or meters to verify that equipment is functioning at specified levels.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Microsoft Word (in demand)
- Apache Hive (hot technology)
- Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- R (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- Selenium (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Quality Control Analysis, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Monitoring, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.
Common job titles: Inspector, QA Auditor (Quality Assurance Auditor), QA Inspector (Quality Assurance Inspector), QA Technician (Quality Assurance Technician), QC Technician (Quality Control Technician), Quality Auditor, Quality Control Inspector (QC Inspector), Quality Inspector, Quality Technician, Test Technician.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make?
The national median annual wage for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers was $48,570 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $35,510 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $77,860. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers to change +2.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 66,700 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Alaska ($78,150), Washington ($64,420), Maryland ($61,790). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.