Salary guide, May 2025
Quality Inspector pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440.
Also searched as: QC Inspector, Final Inspector, In-Process Inspector, Receiving Inspector. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Direct match · SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Quality Inspector is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,510 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 | $77,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.07 | $19.18 | $23.35 | $29.54 | $37.44 |
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $46,820 | $36,760 to $59,760 | 6,830 | 0.63 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $47,180 | $38,420 to $57,620 | 3,760 | 0.68 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $45,630 | $37,230 to $59,060 | 2,790 | 0.51 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $49,460 | $44,150 to $59,610 | 1,420 | 0.5 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $46,210 | $38,390 to $59,280 | 16,440 | 1.06 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $48,230 | $41,620 to $60,340 | 23,080 | 1.33 |
Rank every metro for Quality Inspector
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$64,420
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$60,620
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$55,250
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$54,760
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$54,510
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$53,620
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$51,620
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$50,120
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$49,940
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$49,410
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$48,480
- Wood Product Manufacturing (NAICS 321000)$47,830
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$47,420
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$46,100
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$45,820
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 382,920 | $43,050 | $49,270 | $61,460 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 63,910 | $47,390 | $60,620 | $77,420 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 47,990 | $44,350 | $49,410 | $60,470 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 46,600 | $38,690 | $46,100 | $51,520 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 35,730 | $38,770 | $45,820 | $50,530 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 32,800 | $44,970 | $50,120 | $61,740 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 32,480 | $45,540 | $55,250 | $65,450 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 29,910 | $38,680 | $45,630 | $49,600 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 28,190 | $46,460 | $54,760 | $62,540 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 26,120 | $60,260 | $74,450 | $93,290 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 21,920 | $40,470 | $47,070 | $55,850 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 19,460 | $40,490 | $48,480 | $60,400 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,660 | $46,570 | $53,970 | $62,430 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 17,830 | $43,660 | $48,640 | $59,190 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 17,440 | $46,950 | $59,260 | $72,860 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 17,210 | $37,210 | $41,070 | $47,570 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 17,190 | $42,910 | $48,570 | $59,840 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 14,050 | $45,350 | $49,940 | $60,720 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 13,840 | $44,600 | $49,520 | $61,220 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 13,800 | $45,100 | $50,680 | $61,110 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 13,430 | $46,550 | $54,510 | $62,530 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 10,570 | $48,480 | $58,360 | $66,930 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 10,330 | $46,260 | $51,620 | $60,320 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 10,030 | $47,390 | $57,110 | $66,250 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,420 | $41,910 | $51,060 | $63,770 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 9,230 | $46,800 | $54,690 | $62,500 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 9,100 | $40,640 | $47,770 | $56,580 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 7,030 | $63,060 | $73,310 | $78,410 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 6,680 | $40,340 | $47,420 | $59,740 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 6,330 | $38,690 | $45,960 | $50,760 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 6,240 | $45,110 | $49,640 | $60,390 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 6,120 | $39,420 | $47,830 | $55,730 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 6,050 | $38,590 | $44,870 | $49,030 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 5,830 | $39,070 | $47,600 | $59,530 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 5,710 | $46,700 | $52,060 | $61,370 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 5,620 | $43,680 | $49,100 | $61,330 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5,620 | $37,110 | $44,670 | $52,200 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 5,560 | $46,450 | $50,350 | $60,320 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 5,520 | $39,140 | $45,750 | $55,830 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 4,940 | $36,950 | $41,160 | $47,650 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 4,590 | $47,310 | $52,070 | $58,980 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 4,570 | $38,790 | $46,970 | $58,040 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 4,440 | $37,100 | $41,850 | $47,960 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 4,190 | $39,580 | $46,260 | $50,560 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 4,100 | $47,500 | $53,620 | $61,460 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 4,060 | $43,070 | $49,330 | $60,400 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 4,020 | $35,630 | $38,610 | $45,130 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 4,020 | $42,850 | $47,900 | $58,330 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 3,690 | $47,540 | $53,390 | $61,090 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 3,580 | $40,540 | $47,550 | $53,490 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 3,330 | $49,230 | $61,140 | $75,860 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 2,980 | $55,840 | $64,560 | $82,130 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,390 | $29,520 | $45,200 | $55,760 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 2,290 | $47,040 | $56,280 | $64,870 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 2,280 | $36,220 | $39,000 | $46,360 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 2,240 | $43,670 | $48,100 | $60,070 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,140 | $46,890 | $53,440 | $62,140 |
| 315000 · 3-digit | Apparel Manufacturing | 2,130 | $30,310 | $36,080 | $39,180 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 2,110 | $35,350 | $41,500 | $46,520 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 2,070 | $46,690 | $57,780 | $72,540 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 2,020 | $46,910 | $54,140 | $60,450 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 2,010 | $48,830 | $59,190 | $66,890 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,640 | $44,310 | $47,980 | $56,980 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 1,600 | $37,110 | $37,110 | $40,350 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 1,550 | $46,170 | $55,320 | $62,270 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 1,530 | $46,910 | $51,860 | $61,310 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 1,340 | $30,960 | $36,390 | $43,690 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,300 | $39,010 | $47,270 | $55,900 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 1,240 | $39,200 | $49,840 | $59,130 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 1,160 | $41,660 | $50,000 | $61,700 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,160 | $54,900 | $61,330 | $69,540 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 1,070 | $38,210 | $43,240 | $46,230 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 1,040 | $31,200 | $37,560 | $47,060 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 940 | $46,140 | $51,740 | $64,420 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 920 | $35,470 | $38,710 | $46,030 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 880 | $48,170 | $60,820 | $70,560 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 830 | $34,640 | $37,420 | $40,560 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 540 | $34,430 | $44,840 | $48,760 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 510 | $32,210 | $37,860 | $46,060 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 450 | $39,730 | $48,770 | $59,700 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 430 | $28,710 | $36,580 | $44,810 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 410 | $43,410 | $55,770 | $76,160 |
| 315100 · 4-digit | Apparel Knitting Mills | 410 | $28,140 | $35,500 | $36,830 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 400 | $43,660 | $47,170 | $59,730 |
| 315900 · 4-digit | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 380 | $33,400 | $36,280 | $36,820 |
| 316200 · 4-digit | Footwear Manufacturing | 210 | $28,370 | $30,870 | $42,360 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 180 | $40,230 | $47,790 | $47,930 |
| 316100 · 4-digit | Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing | 120 | $39,160 | $45,450 | $54,850 |
| 316900 · 4-digit | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 100 | $29,040 | $34,550 | $40,460 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Quality Inspector, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $38,740 | $47,460 | $59,970 |
| May 2025 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about fit versus title?
A Quality Inspector title can mean a receiving inspector sorting bagged fasteners, an in-process checker doing patrol rounds, or a final inspector working to a customer drawing package. A person strong in one may struggle in another. Source inspector work means traveling to suppliers. First article work means paperwork heavy days.
We match the real mix of gauging, reporting and travel, not the label on the last business card.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Quality Inspector?
The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $35,510. 90% earned less than $77,860.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Quality Inspector at a plant?
Quality Inspector is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Quality Inspectors operate within the SOC 51-9061 category. For Quality Inspector in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $48,570; the May 2024 median is $47,460. Their arithmetic difference is $1,110. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle-band width is $21,550.
This width is substantial, driven by the diversity of technical requirements such as GD&T proficiency, optical comparator usage, and AS9102 first article inspection standards that manufacturers may weigh differently. BLS data does not distinguish by specific inspection discipline, shift seniority, or specialized certifications, meaning the reported range covers a wide variety of plant-specific tasks.
National manufacturing industry data provides meaningful benchmarks. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing shows a median of $74,450, while Motor Vehicle Manufacturing pays $73,310. Ship and Boat Building records a median of $64,560. These industry figures are higher than the aggregate occupational median, demonstrating that specific high-precision environments typically offer higher total cash compensation. Recruiter observations suggest these sectors reward advanced screening skills like ASQ CQI certification which are not separately captured in standard BLS datasets.
Regional data from the two highest employment metros helps frame local expectations. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area reports a median of $48,230 with a middle-band width of $18,720 and a location quotient of 1.33. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area shows a median of $51,560, a middle-band width of $19,260, and a location quotient of 0.94. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that these variations highlight local market competition for skilled quality personnel rather than differences in the core job description. The exclusion of non-cash benefits remains a key limitation when comparing these figures to actual firm offers.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
They should be viewed separately because regional figures cover all employers, whereas industry rows focus on specific manufacturing sub-sectors. For Quality Inspector in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $39,890 to $61,440 annually.
Does the data account for specific quality certifications like ASQ CQI?
No, the BLS does not track individual certifications or specialized technical skills. These qualifications are typically reflected in the higher end of the reported middle-band range.
Why is there a $21,550 gap in the national middle-band width?
The gap exists because the occupation includes a wide variety of roles from basic sortation to advanced GD&T verification. Manufacturers compensate according to the level of technical responsibility required by their specific product lines.
Are the regional pay figures comparable to industry-specific median wages?
They should be viewed separately because regional figures cover all employers, whereas industry rows focus on specific manufacturing sub-sectors. For Quality Inspector in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $39,890 to $61,440 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4