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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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)
549,200 0.7 % $ 21.43 $ 44,580 0.4 %

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

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 12.62 $ 15.31 $ 19.45 $ 25.72 $ 32.80
Annual Wage (2) $ 26,240 $ 31,840 $ 40,460 $ 53,500 $ 68,220


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 37,760 1.18 $ 17.51 $ 36,430
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 28,500 1.90 $ 23.50 $ 48,880
Plastics Product Manufacturing 24,250 4.32 $ 18.69 $ 38,880
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 23,290 4.44 $ 29.45 $ 61,250
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing 20,680 4.34 $ 20.77 $ 43,200

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 650 7.71 $ 15.03 $ 31,260
Foundries 5,740 5.41 $ 20.98 $ 43,650
Fabric Mills 2,430 5.27 $ 16.16 $ 33,610
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 15,530 5.21 $ 23.65 $ 49,190
Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities 6,480 4.93 $ 19.83 $ 41,250

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

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 450 0.10 $ 41.59 $ 86,510
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 1,030 0.27 $ 34.73 $ 72,230
Natural Gas Distribution 750 0.70 $ 33.44 $ 69,550
Other Pipeline Transportation 130 1.61 $ 32.80 $ 68,230
Oil and Gas Extraction 240 0.19 $ 32.61 $ 67,820


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.





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 56,130 3.42 0.87 $ 22.48 $ 46,750
Texas 49,540 4.09 1.04 $ 21.15 $ 44,000
Ohio 29,120 5.67 1.44 $ 21.43 $ 44,570
Michigan 29,110 7.42 1.88 $ 19.04 $ 39,590
Illinois 28,240 5.02 1.27 $ 20.41 $ 42,460




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)
Michigan 29,110 7.42 1.88 $ 19.04 $ 39,590
Indiana 19,930 6.83 1.73 $ 20.00 $ 41,600
Wisconsin 17,630 6.51 1.65 $ 20.32 $ 42,260
South Carolina 12,790 6.35 1.61 $ 18.98 $ 39,480
Kentucky 10,690 6.00 1.52 $ 20.88 $ 43,430




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 220 0.75 0.19 $ 34.43 $ 71,620
District of Columbia 70 0.11 0.03 $ 31.12 $ 64,740
North Dakota 1,560 3.89 0.99 $ 30.63 $ 63,700
Washington 12,000 3.75 0.95 $ 29.85 $ 62,080
Wyoming 1,010 3.84 0.97 $ 27.47 $ 57,140





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 22,970 3.94 1.00 $ 22.09 $ 45,950
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 20,940 4.80 1.22 $ 21.00 $ 43,690
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 18,080 2.05 0.52 $ 22.44 $ 46,670
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 15,640 5.27 1.33 $ 21.89 $ 45,530
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 15,030 4.19 1.06 $ 20.34 $ 42,300
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 14,100 7.92 2.01 $ 19.98 $ 41,560
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 10,260 3.90 0.99 $ 18.91 $ 39,340
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 8,220 4.20 1.06 $ 32.69 $ 67,990
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 7,460 2.87 0.73 $ 25.42 $ 52,880
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 6,930 3.75 0.95 $ 22.94 $ 47,720




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)
Carbondale-Marion, IL 950 18.78 4.76 $ 12.04 $ 25,050
Morristown, TN 660 15.11 3.83 $ 16.81 $ 34,970
Dalton, GA 840 14.00 3.55 $ 16.61 $ 34,550
Elkhart-Goshen, IN 1,650 13.10 3.32 $ 19.38 $ 40,310
Columbus, IN 570 12.17 3.08 $ 20.03 $ 41,670
Albany, GA 650 11.12 2.82 $ 28.31 $ 58,890
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 630 11.01 2.79 $ 16.83 $ 35,010
Jackson, MI 510 11.00 2.79 $ 18.91 $ 39,320
Waco, TX 1,230 10.66 2.70 $ 18.81 $ 39,120
Spartanburg, SC 1,600 10.32 2.61 $ 18.56 $ 38,600




Top paying metropolitan areas for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Odessa, TX 700 9.49 2.40 $ 40.89 $ 85,040
Fairbanks, AK 30 0.97 0.25 $ 38.71 $ 80,520
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 8,220 4.20 1.06 $ 32.69 $ 67,990
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 1,420 3.76 0.95 $ 31.73 $ 65,990
Billings, MT 60 0.69 0.17 $ 31.51 $ 65,550
California-Lexington Park, MD 90 2.01 0.51 $ 31.37 $ 65,250
Anchorage, AK 120 0.72 0.18 $ 30.37 $ 63,170
Baton Rouge, LA 1,920 5.16 1.31 $ 30.06 $ 62,520
Casper, WY 320 8.73 2.21 $ 29.78 $ 61,950
Lake Charles, LA 460 4.52 1.15 $ 29.35 $ 61,040

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 2,890 14.26 3.61 $ 20.87 $ 43,400
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 2,590 8.32 2.11 $ 20.22 $ 42,060
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 2,470 10.37 2.63 $ 21.06 $ 43,810
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 2,380 13.26 3.36 $ 19.40 $ 40,340
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 2,160 5.71 1.45 $ 20.57 $ 42,780

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 2,890 14.26 3.61 $ 20.87 $ 43,400
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 1,900 13.37 3.39 $ 14.66 $ 30,500
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 2,380 13.26 3.36 $ 19.40 $ 40,340
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 2,140 10.96 2.77 $ 19.20 $ 39,930
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 840 10.81 2.74 $ 18.13 $ 37,710

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 70 0.73 0.19 $ 39.23 $ 81,590
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 760 3.97 1.01 $ 30.59 $ 63,620
Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 90 1.13 0.29 $ 30.56 $ 63,570
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 380 2.42 0.61 $ 27.51 $ 57,210
Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 280 3.34 0.84 $ 26.80 $ 55,730


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021