Salary guide, May 2025
Quality Inspector pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ was $50,160 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $41,120 and $62,720.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ median is $1,590 above 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 new York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36,550 | $41,120 | $50,160 | $62,720 | $78,510 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.57 | $19.77 | $24.12 | $30.15 | $37.74 |
BLS estimated 16,370 workers employed in this occupation in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Location quotient: 0.45.
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 $50,160. The all-occupations median in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $61,430. Ratio: 0.82 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.45 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 | $39,870 | $49,620 | $62,400 |
| May 2025 | $41,120 | $50,160 | $62,720 |
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, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $55,540 | $45,220 to $78,290 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $48,990 | $41,170 to $62,240 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters monitors the Quality Inspector occupation, SOC 51-9061, within the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro region, where the current median annual wage is $50,160. For Quality Inspector in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $50,160; the May 2024 median is $49,620. Their arithmetic difference is $540.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The local middle band width is $21,600, encompassing the 25th percentile of $41,120 and the 75th percentile of $62,720. For Quality Inspector in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, 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.
National industry statistics emphasize the potential for higher earnings within specialized manufacturing sectors. The national median for Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing is $74,450, followed by $73,310 in Motor Vehicle Manufacturing and $64,560 in Ship and Boat Building. Each of these specific industries outpaces the national occupational median of $48,570 for the broader category. The New York metro median of $50,160 remains higher than this general national occupational baseline, indicating high local market activity.
Regional comparisons provide additional market context for hiring managers. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT area reports a median of $55,540 with a broader middle band width of $33,070. The Trenton-Princeton, NJ area lists a median of $48,990 with a band width of $21,070. New York exhibits a location quotient of 0.45. All statistics are based on the May 2025 release. Because the BLS maps all testers, sorters, and weighers to this single SOC, the data includes a wide range of tasks; it does not explicitly isolate the high-precision technical duties required in many industrial settings.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Does the New York median wage exceed the national occupational median?
Yes, the New York metro median of $50,160 is higher than the national occupational median of $48,570. This reflects the regional competitiveness for this category of work.
What is the extent of the middle band width in the New York area?
The middle band width for the region is $21,600. This value spans the difference between the 25th percentile of $41,120 and the 75th percentile of $62,720.
Are specific technical credentials accounted for in this salary data?
No, the BLS data aggregates all workers in the SOC 51-9061 category. It does not distinguish between workers with specific certifications like ASQ CQI and those without such credentials.
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