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How Much Does an Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, and Weigher Make?

An inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher in the US earns a median salary of $48,570 a year, or $23.35 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $53,450, and the middle half earn between $39,890 and $61,440.

Median a year $48,570
Median an hour $23.35
Median a month $4,048
Average a year $53,450

Inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher pay range

What inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $35,510 $17.07
25th $39,890 $19.18
Median (50th) $48,570 $23.35
75th $61,440 $29.54
90th (top 10%) $77,860 $37.44

The median is 5% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 597,370 people work as inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$934
Every two weeks
$1,868
Twice a month
$2,024
A month
$4,048

At the median salary, before tax.

Inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Alaska pays inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers the most, at $90,540 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Alaska $90,540 $78,150 300 After tax
Washington $74,600 $64,420 12,010 After tax
Maryland $65,920 $61,790 4,600 After tax
District of Columbia $63,660 $59,730 70 After tax
Montana $63,230 $58,070 580 After tax
Wyoming $61,910 $57,900 990 After tax
Connecticut $61,380 $57,090 7,460 After tax
Hawaii $61,150 $59,740 650 After tax
Colorado $60,840 $58,350 5,220 After tax
Rhode Island $60,120 $54,940 1,790 After tax
Nevada $59,840 $49,280 4,040 After tax
California $59,540 $54,300 61,130 After tax
North Dakota $58,190 $50,820 1,800 After tax
Oregon $58,070 $54,120 5,690 After tax
Arizona $57,660 $52,100 11,120 After tax
New Hampshire $57,570 $54,800 3,050 After tax
Kansas $57,550 $53,680 9,300 After tax
Missouri $57,510 $54,420 12,480 After tax
Minnesota $57,480 $57,170 9,710 After tax
Louisiana $57,380 $49,490 8,110 After tax
Delaware $56,840 $57,190 1,020 After tax
Massachusetts $56,530 $52,270 10,650 After tax
Maine $56,060 $53,570 1,800 After tax
New Mexico $56,000 $49,500 1,550 After tax
New York $54,660 $49,990 19,790 After tax
Utah $54,210 $48,910 6,630 After tax
Iowa $53,950 $50,740 7,230 After tax
Oklahoma $53,950 $49,630 7,430 After tax
New Jersey $53,490 $49,140 12,280 After tax
Virginia $53,310 $49,590 9,830 After tax
Nebraska $53,230 $51,270 3,350 After tax
Virgin Islands $52,870 $47,240 30
Wisconsin $52,580 $49,610 17,670 After tax
West Virginia $52,240 $47,010 2,720 After tax
Idaho $52,120 $45,130 2,900 After tax
Illinois $52,070 $47,920 31,700 After tax
Pennsylvania $52,040 $48,320 25,870 After tax
Texas $51,370 $46,210 56,390 After tax
Ohio $51,150 $47,360 32,060 After tax
Vermont $51,090 $46,210 900 After tax
Florida $50,980 $47,540 22,630 After tax
Indiana $50,850 $47,900 24,790 After tax
South Dakota $49,990 $47,240 1,090 After tax
Georgia $49,790 $46,130 19,980 After tax
South Carolina $49,760 $46,890 13,360 After tax
Kentucky $48,720 $46,280 12,880 After tax
North Carolina $48,600 $46,430 19,700 After tax
Tennessee $48,390 $45,760 17,140 After tax
Michigan $47,070 $44,490 27,980 After tax
Arkansas $46,380 $44,570 5,880 After tax
Mississippi $45,540 $40,670 6,970 After tax
Guam $44,540 $44,160 50
Alabama $44,280 $40,010 13,120 After tax
Puerto Rico $39,930 $29,870 3,870

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other production jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers” (SOC 51-9061). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher make an hour?

The median hourly wage for an inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher is $23.35, and the average is $25.70. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $17.07 an hour and the top 10% over $37.44.

How much does an inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher make a month?

At the median salary of $48,570, an inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher earns about $4,048 a month before tax, or $1,868 every two weeks.

Which state pays inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers the most?

Alaska has the highest average pay for an inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher, at $90,540 a year. Next are Washington and Maryland. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for an inspector, tester, sorter, sampler, and weigher?

The lowest-paid 10% of inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers earn less than $35,510 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $39,890. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make?

The top 10% earn more than $77,860 a year, and the top 25% more than $61,440.