How To Become An Equipment Inspector: What It Is and Career Path

What is an equipment inspector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Equipment inspectors make sure that all the equipment under their control meets safety standards. They can inspect vehicle fleets for trucking companies, construction equipment for construction companies, or any other kind of equipment. Equipment inspectors have an eagle eye for safety standards and quality repairs. They use a variety of tests to ensure that equipment is working as it should and perform minor repairs and maintenance. Equipment inspectors also write reports and internal audits outlining the findings of their inspections. Sometimes, they manage shipping logistics and supervise other workers to make sure that they are using equipment safely.

On average, equipment inspectors earn $52,359 a year for their safety expertise. But before they can work as equipment inspectors, they need to prove that they know a lot about machinery and safety. While some choose to get bachelor's degrees, most equipment inspectors learn through practical experience.

Before looking into a career as an equipment inspector, it is important to look at the job prospects. Unfortunately, the demand for equipment inspectors is expected to decrease by 18% by 2028. However, a safety-minded person with the right qualifications could still find a job in this field.

ScoreEquipment InspectorUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $50,976

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.67%

Asian 7.73%

Black or African American 14.04%

Hispanic or Latino 15.91%

Unknown 7.44%

White 54.22%

Gender

female 12.50%

male 87.50%

Age - 50

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an equipment inspector

Explore equipment inspector education requirements

Most common equipment inspector degrees

Bachelor's

36.4 %

High School Diploma

26.6 %

Associate

11.0 %

Start to develop specific equipment inspector skills

Skills	Percentages
Safety Equipment	19.63%
Troubleshoot	9.57%
Technical Manuals	8.45%
Inspection Reports	7.78%
Safety Procedures	7.41%

Complete relevant equipment inspector training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New equipment inspectors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an equipment inspector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real equipment inspector resumes.

Research equipment inspector duties and responsibilities

Perform visual, auditory and/or road test inspections on cranes, bulldozers, and other engineering equipment.
Work with project manager for major renovations including plumbing, drywall, painting, electrical, HVAC and carpentry.
Prepare logistics to ship and receive supplies for storage.
Conduct initial, in-process, road test and final QC inspection of equipment.

Prepare your equipment inspector resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your equipment inspector resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an equipment inspector resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable equipment inspector resume templates

Build a professional equipment inspector resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your equipment inspector resume.