What is an Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher?
Occupation Description Inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. May use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment.
What Do Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Do On a Daily Basis?
- Monitor production operations or equipment to ensure conformance to specifications, making necessary process or assembly adjustments.
- Monitor machines that automatically measure, sort, or inspect products.
- Disassemble defective parts or components, such as inaccurate or worn gauges or measuring instruments.
- Fabricate, install, position, or connect components, parts, finished products, or instruments for testing or operational purposes.
- Interpret legal requirements, provide safety information, or recommend compliance procedures to contractors, craft workers, engineers, or property owners.
- Inspect or test raw materials, parts, or products to determine compliance with environmental standards.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as an Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher?
These are the skills Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 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.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Resistor Testing Machine Operator
- Formation Testing Operator
- Auto Job Estimator
- Proof Technician
- Clothing Examiner
Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher Job Outlook
There were about 520,700 jobs for Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 52,700 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher are Nevada, North Dakota, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher Average Salary
The average yearly salary of an Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher ranges between $23,550 and $65,510.

Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers who work in Alaska, District of Columbia, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $34,960 |
Alaska | $71,510 |
Arizona | $40,680 |
Arkansas | $33,900 |
California | $45,120 |
Colorado | $46,880 |
Connecticut | $51,260 |
Delaware | $41,030 |
District of Columbia | $60,460 |
Florida | $40,250 |
Georgia | $37,880 |
Hawaii | $36,960 |
Idaho | $37,410 |
Illinois | $41,610 |
Indiana | $39,580 |
Iowa | $42,490 |
Kansas | $44,850 |
Kentucky | $39,510 |
Louisiana | $50,670 |
Maine | $46,140 |
Maryland | $48,650 |
Massachusetts | $46,510 |
Michigan | $36,550 |
Minnesota | $42,470 |
Mississippi | $35,850 |
Missouri | $42,860 |
Montana | $48,630 |
Nebraska | $41,820 |
Nevada | $39,850 |
New Hampshire | $44,020 |
New Jersey | $42,770 |
New Mexico | $54,690 |
New York | $42,580 |
North Carolina | $37,370 |
North Dakota | $52,620 |
Ohio | $41,510 |
Oklahoma | $45,060 |
Oregon | $43,540 |
Pennsylvania | $41,850 |
Rhode Island | $44,660 |
South Carolina | $39,110 |
South Dakota | $36,250 |
Tennessee | $37,380 |
Texas | $42,500 |
Utah | $39,450 |
Vermont | $45,840 |
Virginia | $41,500 |
Washington | $59,310 |
West Virginia | $45,630 |
Wisconsin | $40,750 |
Wyoming | $51,380 |
What Tools & Technology do Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Visio
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- IBM Notes
- FileMaker Pro
- Extensible markup language XML
- R
- Minitab
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
- Medical condition coding software
How do I Become an Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher?
Individuals working as an Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher have obtained the following education levels:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Are Employed

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those who work as an Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, or Weigher sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Gina Collecchia via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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