Production
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Also called: Inspector, QA Auditor (Quality Assurance Auditor), QA Inspector (Quality Assurance Inspector), QA Technician (Quality Assurance Technician)
US median pay
$48,570
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.5%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
66,700
602,000 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
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 they do day to day
- 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.
- Recommend necessary corrective actions, based on inspection results.
- Read dials or meters to verify that equipment is functioning at specified levels.
- Make minor adjustments to equipment, such as turning setscrews to calibrate instruments to required tolerances.
- Read blueprints, data, manuals, or other materials to determine specifications, inspection and testing procedures, adjustment methods, certification processes, formulas, or measuring instruments required.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Quality Control Analysis3.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Operations Monitoring3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.9/5
- Operation and Control2.9/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
Knowledge
- Production and Processing4.3/5
- English Language3.6/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.4/5
- Mechanical3.2/5
- Mathematics3.1/5
- Computers and Electronics2.9/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma70%
- Post-secondary certificate27%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.