Transportation Inspectors Salary: $87,650 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 23,320 transportation inspectors nationally earn a mean of $87,650. Projections imply about 0.6% annual growth; much hiring sits in federal, state, and local government, including state and local government schools and hospitals and the u.s. postal service (oews designation).
Key Statistics
Transportation Inspectors: what the data shows
Common questions about transportation inspectors careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a transportation inspectors?
Transportation Inspectors is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-6051.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 23,320 workers.
What does a transportation inspectors do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a transportation inspectors make?
BLS national median annual wage: $85,750 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41,331 |
| 25th percentile | $63,179 |
| Median (50th) | $77,428 |
| 75th percentile | $106,149 |
| 90th percentile | $139,572 |
What education do you need?
For Transportation Inspectors, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Transportation, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is transportation inspectors in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 3.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 6.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 23,320.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do transportation inspectorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 23,320 | 18.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 12,430 | 9.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 10,890 | 8.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 10,880 | 8.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 10,880 | 8.7% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 7,520 | 6.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Transportation Inspectors in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks | 127,440 | $41,460 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 22,400 | $144,580 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | 46,340 | $63,360 |
| Traffic Technicians | 7,580 | $58,480 |
| Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | 7,310 | $82,730 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 12,460 | $65,480 |
| Transit and Railroad Police | 3,000 | $82,320 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Transportation Inspectors workforce.
Employment Over Time
23,320 Workforce in 2023
The Transportation Inspectors workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Transportation Inspectors.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$87,650 Average Wage
In 2023, Transportation Inspectors earned an average of $87,650.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Transportation Inspectors.
Salary distribution for Transportation Inspectors.
Employment Growth Projections
0.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
7,406 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 3.2%
7,640 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 6.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Transportation Inspectors.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Transportation Inspectors and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Transportation Inspectors employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Transportation Inspectors.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Transportation Inspectors.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Transportation Inspectors.
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:
- NY: 3,730 employees, $89,360 avg wage
- TX: 2,890 employees, $88,280 avg wage
- CA: 1,900 employees, $85,570 avg wage
- FL: 1,670 employees, $94,110 avg wage
- NJ: 1,020 employees, $64,750 avg wage
- IL: 980 employees, $72,780 avg wage
- AZ: 930 employees, $65,450 avg wage
- GA: 830 employees, $98,810 avg wage
- MA: 510 employees, $87,290 avg wage
- NC: 450 employees, $77,910 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Transportation Inspectors.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,990 employees, $86,400 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 980 employees, $104,700 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 860 employees, $94,910 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 790 employees, $66,620 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 570 employees, $72,560 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 560 employees, $86,010 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 410 employees, $90,240 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 390 employees, $103,630 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 370 employees, $115,380 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 310 employees, $65,030 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Transportation Inspectors.
Diversity
Demographic information on Transportation Inspectors in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Transportation Inspectors in 2023 was 23,320 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Transportation Inspectors.
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 Transportation Inspectors.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Transportation Inspectors.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Transportation Inspectors in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Transportation Inspectors.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Transportation Inspectors workers.
Education level distribution for Transportation Inspectors.
Skills
Transportation Inspectors need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Active Listening, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Transportation Inspectors.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Transportation Inspectors.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Transportation Inspectors include Transportation, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Transportation Inspectors.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Transportation Inspectors include Oral Expression, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Written Expression.
Required abilities for Transportation Inspectors.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Transportation Inspectors.
Daily Activities
Transportation Inspectors spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Transportation Inspectors.
About
Transportation Inspectors
The average yearly wage for Transportation Inspectors was $87,650 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-6051 - Transportation Inspectors
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Transportation Inspectors reports an average salary of $87,650.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 23,320 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.6%, 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.