Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 5.5% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.

Key Statistics

60,280
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$59,076
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers workforce.

Employment Over Time

60,280 Workforce in 2023

The Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$59,076 Average Wage

In 2023, Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers earned an average of $59,076.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Salary distribution for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Employment Growth Projections

1.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

251,040 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 5.7%

265,240 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 11.6%

This occupation is projected to grow at 1.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Wage Trends by Industry

11.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 56,820 employees, $59,061 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 14,560 employees, $59,342 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 8,220 employees, $55,143 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 5,750 employees, $52,335 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 5,550 employees, $61,364 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 5,230 employees, $64,893 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 4,550 employees, $66,502 avg wage
  • San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 2,130 employees, $76,748 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,940 employees, $58,922 avg wage
  • Stockton-Lodi MSA: 1,400 employees, $51,022 avg wage
  • Fresno MSA: 1,330 employees, $48,036 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Diversity

Demographic information on Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in 2023 was 60,280 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.

Common majors for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers workers.

Education level distribution for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Skills

Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers need many skills, but most especially Quality Control Analysis, Writing, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension.

Required skills for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers include Production and Processing, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Mathematics.

Knowledge areas required for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers include Oral Expression, Near Vision, Oral Comprehension, Perceptual Speed, Flexibility of Closure.

Required abilities for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

Daily Activities

Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers spend their time on activities such as Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information.

Most important work activities for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.

About

Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers

The average yearly wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers was $59,076 in 2023.

SOC Code

51-9061 - Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers reports an average salary of $59,076.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 60,280 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.