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

What is a transportation inspector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The transportation inspector's job, in general, is to examine vehicles for damage, mechanical failures, safety violations, and emissions pollution that exceed laws limits. Ultimately, undertaking this role, you will ensure the safety of cars on the road through your evaluation and analyzing skills.

To become a transportation inspector, you need to have at least a high school diploma or equivalent. However, some businesses require you to have vehicle inspection certifications, though most provide on-the-job coaching to compensate for the certification requirement. You can earn certification programs through community colleges or vocational schools.

If you're a Transportation Inspector in America, you can make an average salary of $53,172 per year or $26 per hour. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience and skills.

ScoreTransportation InspectorUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,468

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.68%

Asian 7.72%

Black or African American 12.93%

Hispanic or Latino 16.52%

Unknown 7.46%

White 54.69%

Gender

female 20.19%

male 79.81%

Age - 50

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 - 50

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a transportation inspector

Explore transportation inspector education requirements

Most common transportation inspector degrees

Associate

34.7 %

High School Diploma

26.5 %

Bachelor's

26.5 %

Start to develop specific transportation inspector skills

Skills	Percentages
Asphalt	82.76%
ACI	13.44%
OSHA	1.37%
DOT	1.16%
Inspection Reports	0.60%

Complete relevant transportation inspector training and internships

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

Research transportation inspector duties and responsibilities

Conduct dimensional and visual inspections procedures on CMM machines to ensure geometrical characteristics of the product are in specification.
Inspect certify pre own eligibility vehicles at Toyota and Lexus automotive dealers.

Apply for transportation inspector jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a transportation 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 do transportation inspectors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Transportation inspector reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Pros

I enjoy the flexibility and the pay the most.

Cons

There is Nothing I dislike. If I Had to choose it would be that sometimes you come across some items that aren’t very enjoyable.