Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Inspector
- Quality Control Inspector (QC Inspector)
- Quality Inspector
- Quality Technician
Alternate Job Titles
- Abrasive Grader
- Acid Tester
- Air Box Tester
- Air Conditioning Unit Tester (AC Unit Tester)
- Air Sampler
- Air Value Tester
- Aircraft Instrument Tester
- Aircraft Launching and Arresting Systems Inspector
- Aligning Inspector
- Alloy Weigher
- Aluminum Boat Inspector
- Aluminum Container Tester
- Ammunition Components Inspector
- Ampoule Examiner
- Ampoule Inspector
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Production and Processing
- English Language
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Quality Control Analysis
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Perceptual Speed
- Flexibility of Closure
- Problem Sensitivity
- Written Comprehension
- Information Ordering
- Category Flexibility
- Speech Recognition
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Achievement Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Relationships
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
- Independence
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
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
- Apache Hive
- Atlassian JIRA
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
- Extensible markup language XML
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Tools & Equipment
- Accelerometers
- Ammeters
- Backplane testers
- Beta gauges
- Bit error rate testers BERT
- Bubble leak testers
- Calipers
- Calorimetric leak testers
- Capacitive acceleration instruments
- Color spectrometers
- Compression testers
- Conductivity meters
- Continuity testers
- Coordinate measuring machines CMM
- Creep and stress relaxation testers
Work Environment
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $34,590 |
| Median | $47,460 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $75,510 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 591,180
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Calibration Technologists and Technicians
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $65,040
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $63,760
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: Varies
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $61,680
Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: Varies
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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.