How much does a agricultural inspector make?

The median pay is $24.01 per hour — roughly $50,000 a year, with the real range running from about $17.80/hr (10th percentile) to $38.26/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a agricultural inspector?

The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a agricultural inspector actually do all day?

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. Inspect agricultural commodities or related operations, as well as fish or logging operations, for compliance with laws and regulations governing health, quality, and safety.

Farming & Outdoors

Agricultural Inspectors

Inspect agricultural commodities, processing equipment, and facilities, and fish and logging operations, to ensure compliance with regulations and laws governing health, quality, and safety.

What it pays
Agricultural Inspectors earn a median of $24.01/hr — about $50,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $17.80/hr; the top 10% earn $38.26/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.
Inspect agricultural commodities or related operations, as well as fish or logging operations, for compliance with laws and regulations governing health, quality, and safety.
Label and seal graded products and issue official grading certificates.
Monitor the operations and sanitary conditions of slaughtering or meat processing plants.
Take emergency actions, such as closing production facilities, if product safety is compromised.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of agricultural inspectors are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and analytical.

Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.

Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a agricultural inspector make?: The median pay is $24.01 per hour — roughly $50,000 a year, with the real range running from about $17.80/hr (10th percentile) to $38.26/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a agricultural inspector?: The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a agricultural inspector actually do all day?: 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. Inspect agricultural commodities or related operations, as well as fish or logging operations, for compliance with laws and regulations governing health, quality, and safety.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.