How long does it take to become a Quality Inspector?

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

What is a quality inspector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Robert Shepherd

A quality inspector ensures products meet standards of quality and safety. They perform visual inspections, measure and test products, and record data to identify any defects or deviations. Quality inspectors work in manufacturing, automotive, and electronic industries. They must have a keen eye for detail and technical knowledge. Quality inspectors also communicate with production teams to resolve issues and ensure products manufacturing standards. Their role maintains customer satisfaction and can prevent recalls or legal action.

What general advice would you give to a quality 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 InspectorUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,197

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.2

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.02%

Asian 8.49%

Black or African American 11.61%

Hispanic or Latino 16.22%

Unknown 4.89%

White 57.78%

Gender

female 46.55%

male 53.45%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a quality inspector?

Pros

Possibility for career advancement
Opportunity to work independently or as part of a team
Good pay and benefits
Continuous learning and development
Work in a clean and safe environment

Cons

Repetitive nature of inspections can become tedious
Risk of injury from handling heavy or sharp objects
Possibility of encountering difficult colleagues or customers
High pressure to meet deadlines and quotas
Potential for exposure to hazardous materials or environments

Key steps to become a quality inspector

Explore quality inspector education requirements

Most common quality inspector degrees

High School Diploma

37.0 %

Associate

21.9 %

Bachelor's

21.3 %

Start to develop specific quality inspector skills

Skills	Percentages
Calipers	9.25%
Micrometers	7.29%
Quality Standards	6.31%
Quality Inspection	5.72%
Inspection Results	4.36%

Complete relevant quality inspector training and internships

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

Gain additional quality inspector certifications

Quality 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 inspector certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for quality inspectors include Forklift Safety and Inspector and Certified Quality Inspector (CQI).

More About Certifications

Research quality inspector duties and responsibilities

Task involve use of calipers, optical comparators, volt/ohm meters and curve tracer.
Utilize measuring instruments like calipers, gauges, and micrometers to assure product conformance to customers specifications.
Recycle ESD products as required.
Maintain logs of products as required per AS9100.

Prepare your quality inspector resume

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

Build a professional quality 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 inspector resume.