Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Also called: Abrasive Grader, Acid Tester, Air Box Tester, Air Conditioning Unit Tester (AC Unit Tester), Air Sampler, Air Value Tester, Aircraft Instrument Tester, Aircraft Launching and Arresting Systems Inspector
Inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications.
What inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers do
Typical tasks
- Discard or reject products, materials, or equipment not meeting specifications.
- Mark items with details, such as grade or acceptance-rejection status.
- Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
- Notify supervisors or other personnel of production problems.
- Inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications.
- Write test or inspection reports describing results, recommendations, or needed repairs.
- Recommend necessary corrective actions, based on inspection results.
- Read dials or meters to verify that equipment is functioning at specified levels.
- Make minor adjustments to equipment, such as turning setscrews to calibrate instruments to required tolerances.
- Read blueprints, data, manuals, or other materials to determine specifications, inspection and testing procedures, adjustment methods, certification processes, formulas, or measuring instruments required.
- Monitor production operations or equipment to ensure conformance to specifications, making necessary process or assembly adjustments.
- Record inspection or test data, such as weights, temperatures, grades, or moisture content, and quantities inspected or graded.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers salary
The median annual wage for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers is $48,570 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $35,510 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $77,860. The mean annual wage is $53,450.
The mean hourly wage of $25.00 is 3.4× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $48,570 → in 3 years $52,700 → in 5 years $55,700 → in 10 years $63,900 (10-year range $54,900–$74,100). The model assumes pay growth of +2.8% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.