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

What is a receiving inspector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A receiving inspector is all about quality. All merchandise going in and out of their place of work passes under their eagle eye and gets inspected for order accuracy and perfection.

By now, you've probably figured out that a receiving inspector needs to have excellent attention to detail. They need to make sure that all deliveries contain the precise quantity and quality of objects ordered and that outgoing shipments are going to the right place. Receiving inspectors also file paperwork to track items and inventory. Sometimes, they even use special tools to conduct mechanical testing on objects.

Why is quality so important? Receiving inspectors often handle crucial equipment in warehouses, shipping companies, and businesses. Delivering a defective product not only affects the business's reputation, depending on the product, but it could also cause serious harm. That's why receiving inspectors work all shifts, day and night, to maintain accuracy and quality in all shipments.

ScoreReceiving InspectorUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,175

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.2

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.85%

Asian 7.64%

Black or African American 9.44%

Hispanic or Latino 21.81%

Unknown 4.88%

White 55.38%

Gender

female 36.81%

male 63.19%

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 receiving inspector

Explore receiving inspector education requirements

Most common receiving inspector degrees

Associate

31.0 %

High School Diploma

27.3 %

Bachelor's

26.1 %

Start to develop specific receiving inspector skills

Skills	Percentages
Calipers	10.21%
Micrometers	8.59%
Engineering Drawings	5.32%
Aerospace	4.22%
GD	4.11%

Complete relevant receiving inspector training and internships

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

Gain additional receiving inspector certifications

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

The most common certifications for receiving inspectors include IPC Certification Using IPC-7711 and IPC 7721 and Mechanical Inspector Certification (CMI).

More About Certifications

Research receiving inspector duties and responsibilities

Review, and accept, or reject AS9102 forms, and certifications.
Maintain ISO standards of the products and ensure that there is proper handling of inspection tools.
Maintain the QA incoming and first article database.
Used gauges and SPC charts to measure the conformance of the product.

Prepare your receiving inspector resume

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

Build a professional receiving 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 receiving inspector resume.