How long does it take to become a Quality Control Inspector?

It takes 4 years of professional experience to become a quality control inspector. That is the time it takes to learn specific quality control inspector skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

How To Become A Quality Control Inspector: What It Is and Career Path

What is a quality control inspector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Robert Shepherd

Quality Control Inspectors are in charge of looking for defects in product specifications. While that may sound like it requires schooling, you really only need a high school degree because you'll go through on-the-job training, which will tell you everything you need to know.

Things may get a little dusty on the job. So you might want to invest in a good pair of goggles to wear. Maybe even a mask to cover your nose and mouth. There's no sense in covering your lungs in a layer of dust after all.

Speaking about being on the job, you'll most likely work in a manufacturing plant. The work environments are known to be a little loud, so maybe you want to bring some ear plugs as well. You know what? Just to be safe, you might just want to put yourself in a bubble. At least, that way you'll never get hurt, right?

What general advice would you give to a quality control inspector?

Robert Shepherd

NAESA International

People entering the workforce for the first time and recent grads cannot become elevator inspectors do to prerequisites required, which cannot be attained in any sort of schooling supplied in the world, there is none in existence. Th only way you get to be a certified elevator inspector is by successfully attaining a diploma from the school of hard knocks, so OJT is the only way!

ScoreQuality Control InspectorUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $35,018

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.2

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.76%

Asian 8.56%

Black or African American 10.91%

Hispanic or Latino 20.90%

Unknown 4.39%

White 54.48%

Gender

female 40.82%

male 59.18%

Age - 46

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 - 46

Stress level

8.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.4

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a quality control inspector

Explore quality control inspector education requirements

Most common quality control inspector degrees

High School Diploma

35.9 %

Bachelor's

22.6 %

Associate

22.3 %

Start to develop specific quality control inspector skills

Skills	Percentages
Calipers	8.71%
Magnetic Particle	8.70%
Quality Products	7.96%
Micrometers	7.01%
Safety Standards	4.61%

Complete relevant quality control inspector training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New quality control 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 a quality control inspector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real quality control inspector resumes.

Gain additional quality control inspector certifications

Quality control inspector certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific quality control inspector certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for quality control inspectors include Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

More About Certifications

Research quality control inspector duties and responsibilities

Coordinate joint surveys with SATORP inspectors and manage clearance of all issue active LBE and NCR.
Conduct measurements and verify critical dimensions using micrometers, calipers, measuring tape, protractors and other calibrate instruments.
Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments including rulers, calipers, gauges and micrometers.
Use of the RF scanner to receive merchandises to their proper locations in a measure time.

Prepare your quality control inspector resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your quality control 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 a quality control 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 quality control inspector resume templates

Build a professional quality control 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 quality control inspector resume.

Apply for quality control inspector jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a quality control inspector job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first quality control inspector job

Ayres Rocha

Quality Control Inspector, Farm of Hope

My name is Ayres Rocha, I am from Brazil and I have been living in Corpus Christi – Tx since August 2023.

My career as a Quality Control Inspector started attending a Technical High School in Precision Machining and Electronics for 4 years. I worked 8 years in this position for international companies; Otis Elevator, Allison Transmission, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz.

I was responsible for ensuring that company's products meet required quality standards, working close to the production team, checking and testing products during the manufacturing process or after completion in order to identify possible defects or failures.

My role as a quality control inspector was fundamental to ensure that the products and services meet customer expectations regarding quality and reliability as well as protecting the company's reputation and brand, helping to avoid quality problems and ensuring that products are manufactured according to the highest standards.

This professional experience allowed me to grow in my career and personal life. I also studied Production Engineering and worked in other positions in Quality Management, Project Management and Service Engineering areas. I had the chance to work in different companies, meet amazing people, visit other countries, and learn new languages and cultures.

If you are passionate about technology, mathematics and physics, and want to build a career that requires a good look for the minimal details as well as a broad view of the production chain, I highly recommend you to consider starting a professional life as a quality control inspector.

How do quality control inspectors rate their job?

4.5/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Quality control inspector reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022

Cons

People who object to getting things right the first time and try to slip slop past me.

Pros

Making sure that what goes out reflects my commitment to top quality.

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022

Pros

Working for myself. Freedom

Cons

People trying to low ball me on pricing and trying to get me to do more than 1 inspection for the price of one inspection

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros

Fabric checking and find out the problem

Cons

I did not like work with proper guide line

What is a quality control inspector and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a quality control inspector?

Quality control inspector career paths

Key steps to become a quality control inspector

Explore quality control inspector education requirements

Most common quality control inspector degrees

Start to develop specific quality control inspector skills

Complete relevant quality control inspector training and internships

Gain additional quality control inspector certifications

Research quality control inspector duties and responsibilities

Prepare your quality control inspector resume

Choose from 10+ customizable quality control inspector resume templates

Apply for quality control inspector jobs

How did you land your first quality control inspector job

Average quality control inspector salary

How do quality control inspectors rate their job?

Quality control inspector reviews

Quality control inspector FAQs

How long does it take to become a Quality Control Inspector?

Search for quality control inspector jobs

Quality control inspector jobs by state