Career Overview
Inspect agricultural commodities, processing equipment, and facilities, and fish and logging operations, to ensure compliance with regulations and laws governing health, quality, and safety.
Also Known As
- Brand Inspector
- Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI)
- Grain Inspector
- Inspector
Alternate Job Titles
- Agricultural Commodities Inspector
- Agricultural Commodity Grader
- Agricultural Inspector
- Agricultural Specialist
- Agriculture Inspector
- Brand Inspector
- Cattle Examiner
- Cattle Inspector
- Certifier
- Compliance Analyst
- Compliance Coordinator
- Compliance Technician (Compliance Tech)
- Consumer Compliance Examiner
- Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI)
- Consumer Safety Officer (CSO)
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Inspect food products and processing procedures to determine whether products are safe to eat.
- Interpret and enforce government acts and regulations and explain required standards to agricultural workers.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Quality Control Analysis
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Flexibility of Closure
- Far Vision
- Speech Clarity
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
- Self-Control
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Achievement
- Support
- Independence
- Recognition
- Working Conditions
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Agricultural dividers
- Bacon bomb samplers
- Barley pearlers
- Beam scales
- Bean sack triers
- Block weights
- Blust drum samplers
- Boerner dividers
- Bulk lot triers
- Cargo trucks
- Counterpoise weights
- Dehairing machines
- Desktop computers
- Digital cameras
- Diverter samplers
Work Environment
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $37,440 |
| Median | $50,990 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $80,240 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 12,090
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Construction and Building Inspectors
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $72,120
Food Science Technicians
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $49,430
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $59,330
Aviation Inspectors
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $85,750
Agricultural Technicians
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $46,790
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.