Salaries › Quality Inspector
Quality Inspector Salary by State (2026)
Quality Inspectors (Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers) hold 597,390 jobs across the US. Typical pay is $49,360 per year, but the median ranges from $40,010 in Alabama to $78,150 in Alaska. Pick your state for the full pay range and an estimated take-home after taxes.
Median Quality Inspector salary in every state
| State | Median salary | Jobs |
| Alaska | $78,150 | 300 |
| Washington | $64,420 | 12,010 |
| Maryland | $61,790 | 4,600 |
| Hawaii | $59,740 | 650 |
| District of Columbia | $59,730 | 70 |
| Colorado | $58,350 | 5,220 |
| Montana | $58,070 | 580 |
| Wyoming | $57,900 | 990 |
| Delaware | $57,190 | 1,020 |
| Minnesota | $57,170 | 9,710 |
| Connecticut | $57,090 | 7,460 |
| Rhode Island | $54,940 | 1,790 |
| New Hampshire | $54,800 | 3,050 |
| Missouri | $54,420 | 12,480 |
| California | $54,300 | 61,130 |
| Oregon | $54,120 | 5,690 |
| Kansas | $53,680 | 9,300 |
| Maine | $53,570 | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $52,270 | 10,650 |
| Arizona | $52,100 | 11,120 |
| Nebraska | $51,270 | 3,350 |
| North Dakota | $50,820 | 1,800 |
| Iowa | $50,740 | 7,230 |
| New York | $49,990 | 19,790 |
| Oklahoma | $49,630 | 7,430 |
| Wisconsin | $49,610 | 17,670 |
| Virginia | $49,590 | 9,830 |
| New Mexico | $49,500 | 1,550 |
| Louisiana | $49,490 | 8,110 |
| Nevada | $49,280 | 4,040 |
| New Jersey | $49,140 | 12,280 |
| Utah | $48,910 | 6,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,320 | 25,870 |
| Illinois | $47,920 | 31,700 |
| Indiana | $47,900 | 24,790 |
| Florida | $47,540 | 22,630 |
| Ohio | $47,360 | 32,060 |
| South Dakota | $47,240 | 1,090 |
| West Virginia | $47,010 | 2,720 |
| South Carolina | $46,890 | 13,360 |
| North Carolina | $46,430 | 19,700 |
| Kentucky | $46,280 | 12,880 |
| Texas | $46,210 | 56,390 |
| Vermont | $46,210 | 900 |
| Georgia | $46,130 | 19,980 |
| Tennessee | $45,760 | 17,140 |
| Idaho | $45,130 | 2,900 |
| Arkansas | $44,570 | 5,880 |
| Michigan | $44,490 | 27,980 |
| Mississippi | $40,670 | 6,970 |
| Alabama | $40,010 | 13,120 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average Quality Inspector salary in the US?
- The typical (employment-weighted median) Quality Inspector salary in the US is about $49,360 per year, based on the latest BLS data covering 597,390 jobs nationwide.
- Which state pays Quality Inspectors the most?
- Alaska has the highest median Quality Inspector salary at $78,150 per year. Remember that taxes and cost of living vary — a high gross salary can shrink after state taxes.
- Which state pays Quality Inspectors the least?
- Alabama has the lowest median at $40,010 per year. Lower-paying states often also have lower living costs and, in some cases, no state income tax.
Sources and methodology
All figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 (state file, released April 2026) (Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, code 51-9061). “Typical pay” is the employment-weighted average of state medians. Take-home estimates on state pages use 2026 federal and verified state tax rules from our PaycheckTally engine.