What Do Agricultural Inspector Do?
Position Description Inspect agricultural commodities, processing equipment, and facilities, and fish and logging operations, to ensure compliance with regulations and laws governing health, quality, and safety.
Life As an Agricultural Inspector: What Do They Do?
- Provide consultative services in areas such as equipment or product evaluation, plant construction or layout, or food safety systems.
- Inquire about pesticides or chemicals to which animals may have been exposed.
- Advise farmers or growers of development programs or new equipment or techniques to aid in quality production.
- Write reports of findings and recommendations and advise farmers, growers, or processors of corrective action to be taken.
- Label and seal graded products and issue official grading certificates.
- Testify in legal proceedings.
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Skills Needed to be an Agricultural Inspector
These are the skills Agricultural Inspectors say are the most useful in their careers:
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Land Inspector
- Compliance Manager
- Health Inspector
- Eggs Inspector
- Cotton Classer
Is There Job Demand for Agricultural Inspectors?
In the United States, there were 15,600 jobs for Agricultural Inspector in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 4.5% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 700 new jobs for Agricultural Inspector by 2026. There will be an estimated 2,200 positions for Agricultural Inspector per year.

The states with the most job growth for Agricultural Inspector are Montana, North Dakota, and Washington. Watch out if you plan on working in Maryland, Vermont, or Ohio. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Agricultural Inspectors Make A Lot Of Money?
The typical yearly salary for Agricultural Inspectors is somewhere between $27,930 and $67,400.

Agricultural Inspectors who work in Connecticut, New York, or Vermont, make the highest salaries.
How much do Agricultural Inspectors make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Arizona | $35,650 |
Arkansas | $44,320 |
California | $49,950 |
Colorado | $47,390 |
Connecticut | $73,150 |
Delaware | $45,130 |
Florida | $36,350 |
Georgia | $41,670 |
Idaho | $41,330 |
Illinois | $56,050 |
Indiana | $46,070 |
Iowa | $51,760 |
Kansas | $44,750 |
Kentucky | $42,690 |
Louisiana | $51,140 |
Maryland | $47,090 |
Minnesota | $45,600 |
Mississippi | $39,410 |
Missouri | $42,610 |
Montana | $43,930 |
Nebraska | $43,140 |
Nevada | $30,430 |
New Jersey | $59,590 |
New Mexico | $38,270 |
New York | $63,330 |
North Carolina | $43,530 |
North Dakota | $43,130 |
Ohio | $45,630 |
Oklahoma | $37,810 |
Oregon | $44,020 |
Pennsylvania | $55,700 |
South Carolina | $41,780 |
Tennessee | $44,860 |
Texas | $49,840 |
Vermont | $58,960 |
Virginia | $42,060 |
Washington | $46,720 |
West Virginia | $35,750 |
Wisconsin | $47,350 |
Wyoming | $30,570 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Agricultural Inspectors
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Agricultural Inspectors may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Image processing software
How do I Become an Agricultural Inspector?
What education is needed to be an Agricultural Inspector?

How Long Does it Take to Become an Agricultural Inspector?

Agricultural Inspectors Sector

The table below shows the approximate number of Agricultural Inspectors employed by various industries.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those thinking about becoming an Agricultural Inspector might also be interested in the following careers:
Are you already one of the many Agricultural Inspector in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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