Salary guide, May 2025
Quality Inspector pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $48,230 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $41,620 and $60,340.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is $340 below the national median of $48,570, both from BLS May 2025.
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.
What should you know about chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36,370 | $41,620 | $48,230 | $60,340 | $77,320 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.49 | $20.01 | $23.19 | $29.01 | $37.18 |
BLS estimated 23,080 workers employed in this occupation in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Location quotient: 1.33.
What should you know about united States?
| 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 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Quality Inspector median is $48,230. The all-occupations median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $54,720. Ratio: 0.88 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 1.33 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $39,130 | $47,330 | $59,010 |
| May 2025 | $41,620 | $48,230 | $60,340 |
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.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
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.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Kankakee, IL | $48,880 | $43,370 to $60,830 |
| Niles, MI | $43,870 | $37,440 to $51,040 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
Quality Inspectors in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro report a median annual salary of $48,230. For Quality Inspector in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $48,230; the May 2024 median is $47,330. Their arithmetic difference is $900. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
The middle band width is $18,720, calculated using the P75 of $60,340 and P25 of $41,620. For Quality Inspector in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
When reviewing national industry benchmarks, sectors with high technical standards show higher pay. For Quality Inspector in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $41,620 to $60,340 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. Chicago's local location quotient of 1.33 confirms a higher density of this occupation in the regional economy relative to the U.S. total.
Comparing the Chicago market to neighboring metros, the Kankakee, IL area records a median of $48,880, while the Niles, MI area has a lower median of $43,870. The middle band width for Kankakee is $17,460, compared to a tighter $13,600 band in Niles. These differences in pay distribution suggest variation in the underlying industrial processes and skill requirements across these specific geographies. Because the SOC 51-9061 code covers a wide range of inspection duties, the wage data reflects a blend of entry-level sorters and highly skilled quality technicians working with precision measuring equipment, with no separate breakdown provided by the BLS.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For Quality Inspector in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $48,230; the May 2024 median is $47,330. Their arithmetic difference is $900. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
How does the Chicago median change compare to the national change?
For Quality Inspector in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $48,230; the May 2024 median is $47,330. Their arithmetic difference is $900. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
Does the middle band width suggest differences in inspector seniority?
The $18,720 band reflects the total range between the P25 and P75. While wider bands often indicate varied levels of expertise, the BLS data does not explicitly separate inspector seniority or skill levels.
Is the location quotient a measure of local wage competition?
No, the 1.33 location quotient refers to the concentration of inspector employment within the Chicago metro area. It provides a measure of industrial density rather than salary competitiveness.
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