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Inspector salary
Average inspector salary
$38,757
Understanding Inspector Salaries
The average salary for an inspector in the United States is approximately $38,757 annually, translating to around $19 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on numerous factors including geographic location, type of inspection work, and individual experience levels.
Salary by Experience Level
Inspectors with more years of experience tend to earn higher wages. Entry-level inspectors typically start at lower salaries, but as they gain hands-on experience and additional certifications, their earnings can increase substantially.
Geographical Variances
Inspector salaries also differ by state. For instance, inspectors working in states like California or New York may command higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. To see the detailed breakdown of average salaries by state, check our comprehensive salary map.
Opportunities for Advancement
As you progress in your career, there are various inspector roles that offer higher compensation. Specialized positions, such as health and safety inspectors or building inspectors, often report higher salaries. Understanding these dynamics can help you strategically plan your career advancement.
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Where can an Inspector earn more?
Inspector salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level inspector | $23,000 | $11.05 |
| Mid-level inspector | $36,600 | $17.62 |
| Senior-level inspector | $48,400 | $23.29 |
Inspector salary estimates from across the web
Average inspector salary by state
The highest-paying states for inspectors are Louisiana, Maryland, and Alaska. The lowest average inspector salary states are Idaho, Illinois, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for inspectors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisiana | $54,663 | $26.28 |
| 2 | Montana | $42,001 | $20.19 |
| 3 | Nevada | $42,528 | $20.45 |
| 4 | Arizona | $44,272 | $21.28 |
| 5 | Maryland | $47,265 | $22.72 |
| 6 | New York | $46,224 | $22.22 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $41,862 | $20.13 |
| 8 | Washington | $46,187 | $22.21 |
| 9 | South Dakota | $40,280 | $19.37 |
| 10 | Texas | $40,823 | $19.63 |
| 11 | Oregon | $46,623 | $22.41 |
| 12 | Colorado | $41,337 | $19.87 |
| 13 | California | $45,492 | $21.87 |
| 14 | Virginia | $42,654 | $20.51 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $43,881 | $21.10 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $40,158 | $19.31 |
| 17 | Alaska | $47,022 | $22.61 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $40,248 | $19.35 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $43,252 | $20.79 |
| 20 | Ohio | $37,649 | $18.10 |
| 21 | Maine | $38,950 | $18.73 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $38,643 | $18.58 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $42,449 | $20.41 |
| 24 | Vermont | $38,974 | $18.74 |
| 25 | Florida | $38,631 | $18.57 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $36,569 | $17.58 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $43,266 | $20.80 |
| 28 | Kansas | $38,160 | $18.35 |
| 29 | Utah | $38,163 | $18.35 |
| 30 | Missouri | $38,266 | $18.40 |
| 31 | Iowa | $37,876 | $18.21 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $38,568 | $18.54 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $35,985 | $17.30 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $37,289 | $17.93 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $37,463 | $18.01 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $35,453 | $17.04 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $43,058 | $20.70 |
| 38 | Georgia | $35,430 | $17.03 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $35,197 | $16.92 |
| 40 | Indiana | $34,595 | $16.63 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $36,862 | $17.72 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $41,459 | $19.93 |
| 43 | Delaware | $38,886 | $18.70 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $35,159 | $16.90 |
| 45 | Idaho | $34,366 | $16.52 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $33,628 | $16.17 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $35,299 | $16.97 |
| 48 | North Carolina | $33,529 | $16.12 |
| 49 | Michigan | $33,121 | $15.92 |
| 50 | Alabama | $32,566 | $15.66 |
| 51 | Illinois | $33,656 | $16.18 |
Highest paying cities for inspectors
The highest-paying cities for inspectors are Vancouver, WA, Portland, OR, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver, WA | $46,655 | $22.43 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | $46,595 | $22.40 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $46,408 | $22.31 |
| 4 | Richmond, CA | $45,700 | $21.97 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $44,285 | $21.29 |
| 6 | Danbury, CT | $43,136 | $20.74 |
| 7 | Richmond, VA | $42,470 | $20.42 |
| 8 | San Antonio, TX | $41,782 | $20.09 |
| 9 | Colorado Springs, CO | $41,532 | $19.97 |
| 10 | Portland, ME | $39,456 | $18.97 |
| 11 | Miami, FL | $39,029 | $18.76 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | $38,536 | $18.53 |
| 13 | Wichita, KS | $38,511 | $18.51 |
| 14 | Kansas City, MO | $38,354 | $18.44 |
| 15 | Euclid, OH | $38,259 | $18.39 |
| 16 | Salt Lake City, UT | $38,034 | $18.29 |
| 17 | Tulsa, OK | $37,261 | $17.91 |
| 18 | Omaha, NE | $36,775 | $17.68 |
| 19 | Greenville, MS | $36,298 | $17.45 |
| 20 | North Charleston, SC | $35,658 | $17.14 |
Inspectors are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Inspector salary details
An inspector's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $54,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an inspector's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| 75th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| Average | $38,757 | $3,230 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying inspector jobs
The highest paying types of inspectors are chief inspector, senior inspector, and construction inspector.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance Inspector | $36,842 | $3,070 | $17.71 | 74,410 |
| Quality Control Inspector | $35,018 | $2,918 | $16.84 | 92,794 |
| Test Operator | $35,591 | $2,966 | $17.11 | 63,674 |
| Construction Inspector | $52,306 | $4,359 | $25.15 | 42,007 |
| Mechanical Inspector | $49,727 | $4,144 | $23.91 | 33,863 |
| Technical Inspector | $38,939 | $3,245 | $18.72 | 83,675 |
Top companies hiring inspectors now:
Which companies pay inspectors the most?
Inspector salaries at Los Alamos National Laboratory and BP America Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average inspector salary at companies like Arizona Public Service and BWX Technologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $64,867 | $31.19 |
| 2 | BP America Inc | $62,936 | $30.26 |
| 3 | Arizona Public Service | $62,618 | $30.10 |
| 4 | BWX Technologies | $62,211 | $29.91 |
| 5 | Westinghouse Appliances Australia | $61,367 | $29.50 |
| 6 | Volkert | $59,945 | $28.82 |
| 7 | Cook Children's Medical Center | $59,625 | $28.67 |
| 8 | RS&H | $59,273 | $28.50 |
| 9 | Hill International | $58,748 | $28.24 |
| 10 | T.Y. Lin International | $57,143 | $27.47 |
| 11 | STV Group | $56,119 | $26.98 |
| 12 | Arcadis | $56,056 | $26.95 |
| 13 | City of Detroit | $55,978 | $26.91 |
| 14 | Johnson & Johnson | $55,760 | $26.81 |
| 15 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $55,168 | $26.52 |
| 16 | City of Los Angeles | $54,781 | $26.34 |
| 17 | Smiths Group | $54,723 | $26.31 |
| 18 | Aquarion Water | $54,595 | $26.25 |
| 19 | Alkermes | $54,360 | $26.13 |
| 20 | Schlumberger | $54,196 | $26.06 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Inspector salary by industry
The average inspector salary varies across industries:
- The average inspector salary in the automotive industry is $47,091, the highest of any industry.
- The average inspector salary in the finance industry is $43,660.
- Inspectors in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $38,749, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for inspectors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $47,091 | $22.64 |
| 2 | Technology | $43,660 | $20.99 |
| 3 | Retail | $42,579 | $20.47 |
| 4 | Government | $40,180 | $19.32 |
| 5 | Professional | $39,404 | $18.94 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $38,749 | $18.63 |
High paying inspector jobs
Inspector salary trends
The average inspector salary has risen by $6,150 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average inspector earned $32,607 annually, but today, they earn $38,757 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for inspectors over the last decade.
Compare inspector salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average inspector salary over time
Compare inspector salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Inspector salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,800 | $18.63 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $37,500 | $18.03 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $36,600 | $17.62 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $35,800 | $17.20 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $35,200 | $16.94 | +2.1% |
Recently added inspector salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes and Company | Inspector/Inspectress-Tahiti Village | Las Vegas, NV | 06/30/2025 | $33,392 |
| Blue Origin | NDT Inspector III-Radiography (Weekday Evening Shift) | Arlington, WA | 06/30/2025 | $59,709 |
| Arcxis | Hers Inspector | Santa Rosa, CA | 06/30/2025 | $45,914 |
| Pathlightpro | Stormwater Erosion Inspector | Fort Myers, FL | 06/30/2025 | $39,000 |
| General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems | Inspector ST Shift) | Saco, ME | 06/29/2025 | $60,627 |
| Olin | Inspector | Independence, MO | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Universal Logistics Holdings | Depot Gate Inspector | Harvey, IL | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Universal Logistics Holdings | Gate Inspector | Charleston, SC | 06/29/2025 | $34,436 |
| Applus Tech | Cwi/Nace Inspector | Long Beach, CA | 06/29/2025 | $62,610 |
| Mau Workforce Solutions | Visual Inspector | North Charleston, SC | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
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