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Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
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.
Other titles employers use
Inspector · QA Auditor (Quality Assurance Auditor) · QA Inspector (Quality Assurance Inspector) · QA Technician (Quality Assurance Technician) · QC Technician (Quality Control Technician) · Quality Auditor · Quality Control Inspector (QC Inspector) · Quality Inspector
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Discard or reject products, materials, or equipment not meeting specifications.
- Mark items with details, such as grade or acceptance-rejection status.
- Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
- Notify supervisors or other personnel of production problems.
- Inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications.
- Write test or inspection reports describing results, recommendations, or needed repairs.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical, organizing and analytical work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Quality Control Analysis
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
Subjects to know
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Perceptual Speed
- Problem Sensitivity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.4 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 3.8 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.8 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 70%
- A certificate or some college 29%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Electronic mail software
- Data base management system software
- Content workflow software
- Enterprise application integration software
- Spreadsheet software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 57,700
- Job openings each year
- 6,570
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- —
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 57,700 | 6,570 | — |
| Texas | 56,990 | 6,630 | 5.7% |
| Illinois | 33,150 | 3,770 | −1.0% |
| Ohio | 29,570 | 3,310 | −4.5% |
| Michigan | 27,870 | 3,130 | −4.0% |
| North Carolina | 22,010 | 2,500 | −1.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 21,700 | 2,430 | −4.3% |
| New York | 20,820 | 0 | −5.4% |
| Tennessee | 20,670 | 2,420 | 7.8% |
| Indiana | 20,290 | 2,310 | — |
| Georgia | 19,950 | 2,300 | 3.0% |
| Florida | 19,540 | 2,260 | 4.1% |
| Wisconsin | 18,650 | 2,150 | 3.2% |
| South Carolina | 15,990 | 1,860 | 6.3% |
| Washington | 13,120 | 1,650 | 7.9% |
| New Jersey | 13,030 | 1,490 | 1.2% |
| Alabama | 12,300 | 1,420 | 4.1% |
| Kentucky | 12,140 | 1,390 | 1.7% |
| Arizona | 11,790 | 1,390 | 10.4% |
| Minnesota | 10,680 | 1,230 | 2.4% |
| Missouri | 9,950 | 1,130 | — |
| Connecticut | 9,360 | 1,080 | 3.2% |
| Virginia | 9,090 | 1,030 | −2.3% |
| Utah | 8,040 | 960 | 15.5% |
| Mississippi | 7,770 | 900 | 2.8% |
| Kansas | 7,700 | 880 | — |
| Oregon | 7,120 | 830 | 3.9% |
| Louisiana | 7,110 | 810 | −1.8% |
| Iowa | 6,660 | 770 | 3.1% |
| Arkansas | 6,180 | 710 | — |
| Oklahoma | 6,030 | 680 | −3.1% |
| Colorado | 5,070 | 580 | 2.6% |
| Nevada | 4,780 | 550 | 4.1% |
| Maryland | 4,620 | 530 | — |
| Puerto Rico | 4,100 | 480 | 5.7% |
| Nebraska | 3,840 | 440 | 3.8% |
| New Hampshire | 3,560 | 410 | — |
| Massachusetts | 3,430 | 380 | −3.7% |
| West Virginia | 3,070 | 340 | −9.7% |
| Idaho | 2,470 | 290 | 9.3% |
| New Mexico | 2,180 | 250 | 5.3% |
| Rhode Island | 2,030 | 230 | 2.0% |
| North Dakota | 1,670 | 200 | 6.4% |
| Maine | 1,410 | 150 | −10.2% |
| Delaware | 1,100 | 130 | — |
| Wyoming | 1,050 | 120 | 6.1% |
| South Dakota | 1,030 | 120 | 4.0% |
| Vermont | 930 | 100 | −7.0% |
| Montana | 660 | 80 | 4.8% |
| Alaska | 490 | 60 | 6.5% |
| District of Columbia | 60 | 10 | — |
| Virgin Islands | 50 | 10 | −16.7% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
- Degrees each year
- 176
- Admit rate
- 75%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Eastern Kentucky University
- Degrees each year
- 101
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Keene State College
- Degrees each year
- 62
- Admit rate
- 89%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
University of Central Missouri
- Degrees each year
- 54
- Admit rate
- 69%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Murray State University
- Degrees each year
- 48
- Admit rate
- 86%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 44
- Admit rate
- 91%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
- Degrees each year
- 39
- Admit rate
- 83%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Jacksonville State University
- Degrees each year
- 30
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
Compare every college offering quality control and safety technologies/technicians