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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

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

Inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. May use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment.


National estimates for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Industry profile for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Geographic profile for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers

National estimates for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
584,630 1.0 % $ 23.68 $ 49,260 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 15.36 $ 17.88 $ 22.04 $ 27.90 $ 34.72
Annual Wage (2) $ 31,950 $ 37,190 $ 45,850 $ 58,030 $ 72,210


Industry profile for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Employment Services 37,410 1.00 $ 18.37 $ 38,210
Plastics Product Manufacturing 31,320 5.17 $ 20.49 $ 42,620
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 28,410 1.73 $ 26.37 $ 54,850
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing 23,710 4.26 $ 21.68 $ 45,100
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 20,710 4.06 $ 32.47 $ 67,530

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Apparel Knitting Mills 450 6.44 $ 14.49 $ 30,150
Fabric Mills 2,600 5.96 $ 18.66 $ 38,820
Foundries 6,090 5.67 $ 24.32 $ 50,580
Plastics Product Manufacturing 31,320 5.17 $ 20.49 $ 42,620
Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills 1,220 5.14 $ 18.55 $ 38,590

Top paying industries for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oil and Gas Extraction 170 0.16 $ 51.47 $ 107,060
Scheduled Air Transportation 160 0.03 $ 47.34 $ 98,470
Other Pipeline Transportation 100 1.16 $ 44.34 $ 92,220
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil 240 2.00 $ 43.89 $ 91,290
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 370 1.13 $ 41.98 $ 87,330


Geographic profile for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 57,120 3.18 0.83 $ 26.32 $ 54,740
Texas 52,220 3.85 1.00 $ 22.94 $ 47,720
Illinois 31,100 5.17 1.34 $ 22.78 $ 47,380
Michigan 29,630 6.81 1.77 $ 21.39 $ 44,480
Ohio 28,290 5.17 1.34 $ 22.56 $ 46,930


Map of location quotient of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Indiana 22,630 7.17 1.86 $ 22.98 $ 47,790
Kentucky 13,520 6.89 1.79 $ 21.49 $ 44,690
Michigan 29,630 6.81 1.77 $ 21.39 $ 44,480
South Carolina 14,650 6.59 1.71 $ 22.12 $ 46,010
Mississippi 7,320 6.36 1.65 $ 19.63 $ 40,830


Map of annual mean wages of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 250 0.79 0.20 $ 37.09 $ 77,150
District of Columbia 60 0.09 0.02 $ 30.68 $ 63,800
Washington 11,330 3.24 0.84 $ 30.47 $ 63,370
Wyoming 920 3.35 0.87 $ 30.43 $ 63,300
Hawaii 520 0.84 0.22 $ 28.52 $ 59,320



Map of employment of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 21,690 3.51 0.91 $ 25.95 $ 53,980
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 21,660 4.81 1.25 $ 23.13 $ 48,110
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 17,640 1.86 0.48 $ 24.60 $ 51,160
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 15,270 3.85 1.00 $ 22.64 $ 47,090
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 14,360 4.52 1.17 $ 23.91 $ 49,730
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 12,400 6.53 1.70 $ 21.82 $ 45,380
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 9,400 3.34 0.87 $ 22.23 $ 46,230
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 8,490 3.00 0.78 $ 25.80 $ 53,670
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 7,970 2.89 0.75 $ 28.11 $ 58,480
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 7,250 3.49 0.91 $ 32.93 $ 68,490


Map of location quotient of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Elkhart-Goshen, IN 2,700 19.75 5.13 $ 20.12 $ 41,860
Danville, IL 440 16.92 4.39 $ 20.49 $ 42,630
Dalton, GA 1,000 15.21 3.95 $ 18.33 $ 38,130
Sumter, SC 500 14.27 3.71 $ 21.43 $ 44,580
Monroe, MI 500 12.89 3.35 $ 20.71 $ 43,080
Columbus, IN 620 12.28 3.19 $ 22.45 $ 46,690
Gainesville, GA 1,210 12.20 3.17 $ 19.13 $ 39,790
Sheboygan, WI 710 11.93 3.10 $ 22.75 $ 47,310
Bloomington, IN 870 11.87 3.08 $ 26.24 $ 54,570
Jackson, MI 670 11.87 3.08 $ 21.13 $ 43,940