Salary guide, May 2025
Quality Technician pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL was $47,180 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $38,420 and $57,620.
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL median is $1,390 below 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 tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $33,870 | $38,420 | $47,180 | $57,620 | $70,550 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $16.28 | $18.47 | $22.68 | $27.70 | $33.92 |
BLS estimated 3,760 workers employed in this occupation in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Location quotient: 0.68.
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 $47,180. The all-occupations median in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL is $48,940. Ratio: 0.96 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.68 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 | $38,070 | $45,710 | $52,910 |
| May 2025 | $38,420 | $47,180 | $57,620 |
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, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | $54,120 | $43,890 to $77,630 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $46,090 | $37,650 to $56,860 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
Quality Technicians in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro earn a median annual salary of $47,180. This reflects an increase of $1,470 from the prior year's median of $45,710. The middle band width, representing the spread between the P75 of $57,620 and the P25 of $38,420, is $19,200.
Manufacturing Headhunters emphasizes that these figures are exclusively base annual wages and do not account for industrial compensation components such as production bonuses, shift differentials, or specific process-based incentives often used in manufacturing settings.
National manufacturing industry data highlights the higher wages associated with specialized sectors. These figures contrast with the national occupational median of $48,570. The local Tampa location quotient of 0.68 indicates a below-average concentration of these roles compared to national levels, which is a structural characteristic of the regional industrial makeup rather than an indicator of worker availability or local wage strength.
When evaluating neighboring Florida markets, wage variations are evident. Wildwood-The Villages reports a higher median of $54,120, while the Lakeland-Winter Haven market reports a lower median of $46,090. The middle band width in Wildwood-The Villages is significantly wider at $33,740, compared to $19,210 in the Lakeland area. These differences point to the varied industrial landscapes and labor requirements in each metro. Because the SOC 51-9061 code covers a wide range of inspection, testing, and sampling tasks, the BLS data aggregates all these functions without distinguishing by specific plant-level job requirements or technical certifications.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How did the Tampa median change compare to the national movement?
Tampa saw a median increase of $1,470 from May 2024 to May 2025. This is slightly higher than the national occupational median change of $1,110.
Does the BLS data distinguish between different technical inspection duties?
No, all testing, sampling, and sorting duties are aggregated under a single SOC code. The data does not separate work based on specific tools like gauge R&R or SPC proficiency.
What is the significance of the location quotient in this analysis?
The location quotient of 0.68 quantifies the concentration of inspection roles in Tampa relative to the U.S. average. It is a metric of industrial intensity, not salary or availability.
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