Salary guide, May 2025
Quality Technician 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.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
The Quality Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
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 Technician 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?
Quality Technicians within the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro earn a median annual salary of $50,160. This represents an increase of $540 from the May 2024 median of $49,620. The middle band width is $21,600, calculated from the P75 of $62,720 and the P25 of $41,120.
Manufacturing Headhunters observes that these figures represent base annual earnings only, excluding variable pay components such as overtime, shift differentials, and bonuses for advanced technical certifications like the ASQ CQT.
National manufacturing benchmarks show clear wage variations based on sector complexity. These figures are significantly higher than the national occupational median of $48,570 for the broader inspection category. The New York metro's location quotient of 0.45 indicates that the concentration of these inspection roles is low relative to the national average, a feature of the regional economy's industry composition.
Comparing the New York metro against nearby labor markets, the Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT area shows a higher median of $55,540, while the Trenton-Princeton, NJ area reports a lower median of $48,990. The middle band width in Bridgeport is $33,070, indicating a wider compensation spread than the $21,070 observed in Trenton. These pay differences are rooted in the specific local manufacturing mix and regional labor demands. The BLS data aggregates all inspection, testing, and sorting duties under the SOC 51-9061 code. Consequently, the provided wage data covers everything from basic material sampling to sophisticated quality testing without separating these duties into distinct pay categories.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why does Bridgeport have a higher median than the New York metro?
The variation in median wages reflects local industrial sector differences. Bridgeport's specific manufacturing mix drives higher compensation for these roles compared to the broader New York metro.
Does the location quotient indicate candidate availability?
No, the 0.45 location quotient reflects the concentration of this job in the region relative to the national average. It does not measure the number of available technicians.
Are bonuses included in these median figures?
No, the BLS reports base annual wages. Compensation components such as bonuses, shift pay, and benefits are excluded from these calculations.
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