Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Salary: $47,460 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 591,180 inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers work nationally, and $47,460 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 6% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.1% annual growth.
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers: what the data shows
Common questions about inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers?
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-9061.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 591,180 workers.
What does a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $47,460 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $59,076 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,813 |
| 25th percentile | $44,394 |
| Median (50th) | $51,740 |
| 75th percentile | $65,457 |
| 90th percentile | $84,828 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Quality Control Analysis, Writing, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.1% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 5.7%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 11.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 591,180.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weigherss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 591,180 | 19.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 585,760 | 19.2% |
| Manufacturing | 377,260 | 12.4% |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 60,750 | 2.0% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 51,330 | 1.7% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 49,950 | 1.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers workforce.
Employment Over Time
591,180 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers grew from 199,240 in 2009 to 237,600 in 2025 (19.3%).
Historical employment for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$47,460 Median pay (BLS national)
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers earn $47,460 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 60,280 employees, $57,580 avg wage
- TX: 55,320 employees, $48,430 avg wage
- OH: 31,010 employees, $48,750 avg wage
- IL: 30,740 employees, $50,030 avg wage
- MI: 29,370 employees, $46,450 avg wage
- PA: 23,100 employees, $50,960 avg wage
- IN: 21,880 employees, $49,550 avg wage
- FL: 21,060 employees, $49,920 avg wage
- NY: 20,540 employees, $53,330 avg wage
- GA: 20,140 employees, $46,780 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 22,770 employees, $56,360 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 21,380 employees, $50,850 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 17,030 employees, $49,050 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 16,600 employees, $54,530 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 15,320 employees, $48,590 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 11,620 employees, $48,180 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 9,660 employees, $48,680 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 7,700 employees, $58,860 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 7,700 employees, $70,070 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 7,670 employees, $55,160 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 U.S. workforce for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers is about 591,180 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers earn $47,460 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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 591,180 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.