Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers salary in the U.S.
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the U.S. earn a median of $48,570 a year ($23.35 an hour), based on BLS data for 597,370 workers.
Pay ranges from $35,510 for the lowest-paid 10% to $77,860 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $53,450, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $35,510 | $17.07 |
| 25th percentile | $39,890 | $19.18 |
| Median | $48,570 | $23.35 |
| 75th percentile | $61,440 | $29.54 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $77,860 | $37.44 |
| Average (mean) | $53,450 | $25.70 |
Half of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $4,047.50 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $2,023.75 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,868.08 |
| Weekly | $934.04 |
| Hourly | $23.35 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $78,150 | 300 |
| Washington | $64,420 | 12,010 |
| Maryland | $61,790 | 4,600 |
| Hawaii | $59,740 | 650 |
| District of Columbia | $59,730 | 70 |
| Colorado | $58,350 | 5,220 |
| Montana | $58,070 | 580 |
| Wyoming | $57,900 | 990 |
| Delaware | $57,190 | 1,020 |
| Minnesota | $57,170 | 9,710 |
| Connecticut | $57,090 | 7,460 |
| Rhode Island | $54,940 | 1,790 |
| New Hampshire | $54,800 | 3,050 |
| Missouri | $54,420 | 12,480 |
| California | $54,300 | 61,130 |
| Oregon | $54,120 | 5,690 |
| Kansas | $53,680 | 9,300 |
| Maine | $53,570 | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $52,270 | 10,650 |
| Arizona | $52,100 | 11,120 |
| Nebraska | $51,270 | 3,350 |
| North Dakota | $50,820 | 1,800 |
| Iowa | $50,740 | 7,230 |
| New York | $49,990 | 19,790 |
| Oklahoma | $49,630 | 7,430 |
| Wisconsin | $49,610 | 17,670 |
| Virginia | $49,590 | 9,830 |
| New Mexico | $49,500 | 1,550 |
| Louisiana | $49,490 | 8,110 |
| Nevada | $49,280 | 4,040 |
| New Jersey | $49,140 | 12,280 |
| Utah | $48,910 | 6,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,320 | 25,870 |
| Illinois | $47,920 | 31,700 |
| Indiana | $47,900 | 24,790 |
| Florida | $47,540 | 22,630 |
| Ohio | $47,360 | 32,060 |
| South Dakota | $47,240 | 1,090 |
| Virgin Islands | $47,240 | 30 |
| West Virginia | $47,010 | 2,720 |
| South Carolina | $46,890 | 13,360 |
| North Carolina | $46,430 | 19,700 |
| Kentucky | $46,280 | 12,880 |
| Texas | $46,210 | 56,390 |
| Vermont | $46,210 | 900 |
| Georgia | $46,130 | 19,980 |
| Tennessee | $45,760 | 17,140 |
| Idaho | $45,130 | 2,900 |
| Arkansas | $44,570 | 5,880 |
| Michigan | $44,490 | 27,980 |
| Guam | $44,160 | 50 |
| Mississippi | $40,670 | 6,970 |
| Alabama | $40,010 | 13,120 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,870 | 3,870 |
Best-paying metro areas for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | $92,000 | 100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $76,800 | 8,190 |
| Savannah, GA | $72,800 | 1,110 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $71,950 | 200 |
| Anchorage, AK | $71,470 | 80 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $68,060 | 180 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $65,840 | 270 |
| Bismarck, ND | $63,910 | 90 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $63,570 | 490 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $63,520 | 600 |
| Wichita, KS | $63,030 | 3,590 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $63,000 | 5,210 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $62,630 | 120 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $62,480 | 170 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $62,470 | 1,410 |
Metro areas with the most inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 23,080 | $48,230 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 22,610 | $51,560 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 16,520 | $46,630 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 16,440 | $46,210 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 16,370 | $50,160 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 10,610 | $45,400 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 9,260 | $46,870 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 8,520 | $51,990 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 8,190 | $76,800 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 8,080 | $52,000 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 7,800 | $58,210 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 7,020 | $40,430 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 6,860 | $62,340 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 6,830 | $46,820 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 6,560 | $48,340 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $43,220 | $20.78 |
| Production Workers, All Other | $40,110 | $19.29 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 | $24.37 |
| Helpers--Production Workers | $39,070 | $18.78 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $48,250 | $23.20 |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | $58,040 | $27.90 |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $50,270 | $24.17 |
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $48,990 | $23.55 |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $51,610 | $24.81 |
| Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $45,760 | $22.00 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $46,570 | $22.39 |
| Dental Laboratory Technician | $49,610 | $23.85 |
| Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | $46,170 | $22.20 |
| Semiconductor Processing Technician | $51,430 | $24.73 |
More: Production Occupations
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 51-9061. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make in the U.S.?
The median salary for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in the U.S. is $48,570 a year, or $23.35 an hour. Pay ranges from $35,510 for the lowest-paid 10% to $77,860 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in the U.S. earn at least $77,860 a year. The top 25% earn $61,440 or more.
What is the starting pay for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $35,510 a year, and a quarter of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers earn $39,890 or less.
How many inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers work in the U.S.?
About 597,370 inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.