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Quality control inspector salary
Average quality control inspector salary
$35,018
Quality Control Inspector Salary Insights
The average salary for a Quality Control Inspector in the United States is approximately $35,018 annually. This figure translates to about $17 per hour. The compensation varies significantly based on location, experience level, and the industry in which you work. For instance, inspectors in high-demand sectors or metropolitan areas may earn higher wages due to the cost of living.
Quality Control Inspectors assess products at various production stages to ensure they meet required specifications. The job typically requires attention to detail and a solid understanding of quality assurance processes. Experience plays a critical role in salary potential; those with several years in the field can expect to earn more than entry-level inspectors.
Top-Paying States
States such as California, Texas, and New York generally offer higher salaries for Quality Control Inspectors, reflective of their robust manufacturing sectors. Additionally, employers often provide benefits that can significantly enhance overall compensation packages. To maximize your earning potential, consider gaining certifications or advanced training in quality assurance methodologies.
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Where can a Quality Control Inspector earn more?
Quality control inspector salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level quality control inspector | $20,800 | $9.98 |
| Mid-level quality control inspector | $33,100 | $15.92 |
| Senior-level quality control inspector | $43,800 | $21.04 |
Quality control inspector salary estimates from across the web
Average quality control inspector salary by state
The highest-paying states for quality control inspectors are Washington, Alaska, and Oregon. The lowest average quality control inspector salary states are Michigan, South Carolina, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for quality control inspectors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $54,015 | $25.97 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $39,867 | $19.17 |
| 3 | Nevada | $39,629 | $19.05 |
| 4 | Oregon | $43,763 | $21.04 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $39,682 | $19.08 |
| 6 | Colorado | $41,515 | $19.96 |
| 7 | Maine | $41,949 | $20.17 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $41,106 | $19.76 |
| 9 | Montana | $43,304 | $20.82 |
| 10 | California | $40,213 | $19.33 |
| 11 | Maryland | $40,325 | $19.39 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $40,746 | $19.59 |
| 13 | Utah | $35,878 | $17.25 |
| 14 | Idaho | $40,042 | $19.25 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $39,889 | $19.18 |
| 16 | Iowa | $38,591 | $18.55 |
| 17 | Vermont | $38,822 | $18.66 |
| 18 | Alaska | $44,773 | $21.53 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $39,134 | $18.81 |
| 20 | Indiana | $34,314 | $16.50 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $36,969 | $17.77 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $34,801 | $16.73 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $38,498 | $18.51 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $34,993 | $16.82 |
| 25 | Ohio | $35,049 | $16.85 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $37,589 | $18.07 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $34,256 | $16.47 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $34,208 | $16.45 |
| 29 | Arizona | $36,394 | $17.50 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $35,685 | $17.16 |
| 31 | Kansas | $35,990 | $17.30 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $39,662 | $19.07 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $40,939 | $19.68 |
| 34 | Texas | $33,761 | $16.23 |
| 35 | Illinois | $34,758 | $16.71 |
| 36 | Missouri | $35,486 | $17.06 |
| 37 | New York | $35,184 | $16.92 |
| 38 | Florida | $33,504 | $16.11 |
| 39 | Delaware | $34,242 | $16.46 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $35,194 | $16.92 |
| 41 | Virginia | $32,707 | $15.72 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $36,681 | $17.64 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $31,383 | $15.09 |
| 44 | Michigan | $31,684 | $15.23 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $30,533 | $14.68 |
| 46 | Georgia | $30,662 | $14.74 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $31,975 | $15.37 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $32,682 | $15.71 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $32,037 | $15.40 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $27,753 | $13.34 |
| 51 | Alabama | $28,902 | $13.90 |
Highest paying cities for quality control inspectors
The highest-paying cities for quality control inspectors are Broomfield, CO, Oakland, CA, and Minneapolis, MN.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broomfield, CO | $41,528 | $19.97 |
| 2 | Oakland, CA | $41,100 | $19.76 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | $39,741 | $19.11 |
| 4 | Tucson, AZ | $36,312 | $17.46 |
| 5 | Kansas City, KS | $35,968 | $17.29 |
| 6 | Salt Lake City, UT | $35,860 | $17.24 |
| 7 | Rochester, NY | $35,857 | $17.24 |
| 8 | Kansas City, MO | $35,842 | $17.23 |
| 9 | Allentown, PA | $35,350 | $17.00 |
| 10 | Tulsa, OK | $35,102 | $16.88 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $34,773 | $16.72 |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | $34,743 | $16.70 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | $34,201 | $16.44 |
| 14 | Kingsville, TX | $34,144 | $16.42 |
| 15 | Tampa, FL | $33,743 | $16.22 |
| 16 | Grand Island, NE | $32,074 | $15.42 |
| 17 | Savannah, GA | $30,691 | $14.76 |
| 18 | Huntsville, AL | $28,560 | $13.73 |
| 19 | Chattanooga, TN | $27,618 | $13.28 |
Quality Control Inspectors are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Quality control inspector salary details
A quality control inspector's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $47,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a quality control inspector's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| Average | $35,018 | $2,918 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying quality control inspector jobs
The highest paying types of quality control inspectors are quality control engineer, quality control supervisor, and senior inspector.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspector General | $48,026 | $4,002 | $23.09 | 58,208 |
| Quality Assurance Technician | $40,027 | $3,336 | $19.24 | 81,534 |
| Inspector | $38,757 | $3,230 | $18.63 | 17,670 |
| Technical Inspector | $38,939 | $3,245 | $18.72 | 83,675 |
| Mechanical Inspector | $49,727 | $4,144 | $23.91 | 33,863 |
| Quality Control Technician | $40,337 | $3,361 | $19.39 | 98,407 |
Top companies hiring quality control inspectors now:
Which companies pay quality control inspectors the most?
Quality control inspector salaries at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Battelle are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average quality control inspector salary at companies like Westinghouse Appliances Australia and Schneider Electric Industrial Services are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $61,502 | $29.57 |
| 2 | Battelle | $60,148 | $28.92 |
| 3 | Westinghouse Appliances Australia | $56,295 | $27.06 |
| 4 | Schneider Electric Industrial Services | $54,669 | $26.28 |
| 5 | ABB | $52,349 | $25.17 |
| 6 | Schlumberger | $52,105 | $25.05 |
| 7 | Integra LifeSciences | $51,637 | $24.83 |
| 8 | BD | $50,936 | $24.49 |
| 9 | Baker Hughes | $50,935 | $24.49 |
| 10 | Amphenol | $50,499 | $24.28 |
| 11 | General Electric | $49,709 | $23.90 |
| 12 | Teledyne Technologies Incorporated | $47,157 | $22.67 |
| 13 | Meridian Bioscience | $47,150 | $22.67 |
| 14 | Sanmina | $47,046 | $22.62 |
| 15 | ResMed | $46,802 | $22.50 |
| 16 | Oceaneering | $46,691 | $22.45 |
| 17 | Steel Dynamics | $46,405 | $22.31 |
| 18 | Globus Medical | $46,280 | $22.25 |
| 19 | GPAC | $46,239 | $22.23 |
| 20 | Sunrise Systems | $46,222 | $22.22 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Quality Control Inspector salary by industry
The average quality control inspector salary varies across industries:
- The average quality control inspector salary in the automotive industry is $42,355, the highest of any industry.
- The average quality control inspector salary in the finance industry is $39,247.
- Quality control inspectors in the retail industry earn an average salary of $36,006, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for quality control inspectors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $42,355 | $20.36 |
| 2 | Construction | $39,247 | $18.87 |
| 3 | Technology | $38,625 | $18.57 |
| 4 | Professional | $37,185 | $17.88 |
| 5 | Transportation | $36,892 | $17.74 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $36,019 | $17.32 |
| 7 | Retail | $36,006 | $17.31 |
High paying quality control inspector jobs
Quality control inspector salary trends
The average quality control inspector salary has risen by $5,556 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average quality control inspector earned $29,462 annually, but today, they earn $35,018 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for quality control inspectors over the last decade.
Compare quality control inspector salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average quality control inspector salary over time
Compare quality control inspector salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Quality control inspector salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $35,000 | $16.84 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $33,900 | $16.29 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $33,100 | $15.92 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $32,300 | $15.54 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $31,800 | $15.30 | +2.1% |
Recently added quality control inspector salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABM Industries | Field Quality Control Inspector/Auditor | Fine, NY | 06/29/2025 | $51,424 |
| Vishay Intertechnology | QC In-Line Inspector | Fremont, CA | 06/29/2025 | $35,479 |
| Unigen | QC Inspector 2-AXI-Swing Shift | Newark, CA | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
| Aerotek | Quality Control Inspector | Glendale, CA | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| Aerotek | Quality Control Inspector | McMinnville, OR | 06/28/2025 | $43,827 |
| Aerotek | QC Inspector | Horsham, PA | 06/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| Aerotek | QC Inspector | Apopka, FL | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| G&W Electric Co | Quality Control Inspector I PM To AM) 3Rd Shift | Bolingbrook, IL | 06/28/2025 | $43,827 |
| Parsons | Structural Inspection Quality Control (Siqc) | Ione, WA | 06/28/2025 | $72,900 |
| Bluescope | QC Strip Inspector-Second Shift | Middletown, OH | 06/28/2025 | $45,914 |
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