Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Also called: Inspector, Quality Control Inspector (QC Inspector), Quality Inspector, Quality TechnicianInspect, 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 10 of its 31 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 2.5% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 4.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.4 hires for every 10 job openings in durable goods manufacturing, which employs about 40% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $40,010 | $34,370 to $50,510 | 13,120 |
| Alaska | $78,150 | $63,640 to $116,510 | 300 |
| Arizona | $52,100 | $45,840 to $65,240 | 11,120 |
| Arkansas | $44,570 | $37,650 to $51,660 | 5,880 |
| California | $54,300 | $45,630 to $68,580 | 61,130 |
| Colorado | $58,350 | $48,210 to $70,850 | 5,220 |
| Connecticut | $57,090 | $45,440 to $75,740 | 7,460 |
| Delaware | $57,190 | $41,180 to $62,850 | 1,020 |
| District of Columbia | $59,730 | $50,140 to $72,180 | 70 |
| Florida | $47,540 | $37,790 to $59,610 | 22,630 |
| Georgia | $46,130 | $38,400 to $58,120 | 19,980 |
| Guam | $44,160 | $38,340 to $51,600 | 50 |
| Hawaii | $59,740 | $41,600 to $68,930 | 650 |
| Idaho | $45,130 | $36,150 to $57,930 | 2,900 |
| Illinois | $47,920 | $41,360 to $59,540 | 31,700 |
| Indiana | $47,900 | $38,740 to $59,980 | 24,790 |
| Iowa | $50,740 | $46,460 to $61,080 | 7,230 |
| Kansas | $53,680 | $45,990 to $66,060 | 9,300 |
| Kentucky | $46,280 | $38,020 to $57,430 | 12,880 |
| Louisiana | $49,490 | $37,110 to $66,390 | 8,110 |
| Maine | $53,570 | $43,590 to $64,580 | 1,800 |
| Maryland | $61,790 | $46,760 to $82,820 | 4,600 |
| Massachusetts | $52,270 | $46,630 to $65,050 | 10,650 |
| Michigan | $44,490 | $36,360 to $53,290 | 27,980 |
| Minnesota | $57,170 | $48,060 to $62,910 | 9,710 |
| Mississippi | $40,670 | $35,610 to $49,760 | 6,970 |
| Missouri | $54,420 | $45,630 to $75,140 | 12,480 |
| Montana | $58,070 | $47,080 to $76,920 | 580 |
| Nebraska | $51,270 | $46,650 to $58,530 | 3,350 |
| Nevada | $49,280 | $40,340 to $66,120 | 4,040 |
| New Hampshire | $54,800 | $46,820 to $63,140 | 3,050 |
| New Jersey | $49,140 | $39,440 to $61,720 | 12,280 |
| New Mexico | $49,500 | $42,580 to $63,510 | 1,550 |
| New York | $49,990 | $43,880 to $62,330 | 19,790 |
| North Carolina | $46,430 | $37,180 to $57,220 | 19,700 |
| North Dakota | $50,820 | $46,860 to $66,920 | 1,800 |
| Ohio | $47,360 | $39,950 to $59,990 | 32,060 |
| Oklahoma | $49,630 | $41,080 to $62,150 | 7,430 |
| Oregon | $54,120 | $45,750 to $65,930 | 5,690 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,320 | $39,480 to $60,450 | 25,870 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,870 | $26,670 to $48,920 | 3,870 |
| Rhode Island | $54,940 | $44,520 to $77,830 | 1,790 |
| South Carolina | $46,890 | $37,910 to $58,540 | 13,360 |
| South Dakota | $47,240 | $42,600 to $54,630 | 1,090 |
| Tennessee | $45,760 | $37,470 to $55,330 | 17,140 |
| Texas | $46,210 | $37,930 to $59,630 | 56,390 |
| Utah | $48,910 | $43,600 to $62,020 | 6,630 |
| Vermont | $46,210 | $39,710 to $58,230 | 900 |
| Virgin Islands | $47,240 | $38,030 to $64,990 | 30 |
| Virginia | $49,590 | $40,710 to $62,140 | 9,830 |
| Washington | $64,420 | $49,190 to $106,080 | 12,010 |
| West Virginia | $47,010 | $37,880 to $60,800 | 2,720 |
| Wisconsin | $49,610 | $44,410 to $59,800 | 17,670 |
| Wyoming | $57,900 | $44,880 to $73,880 | 990 |
Nationally: $48,570. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 10 of its 31 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Discard or reject products, materials, or equipment not meeting specifications. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications. | Not published |
| AI + software | Notify supervisors or other personnel of production problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Mark items with details, such as grade or acceptance-rejection status. | Not published |
| Not much | Read blueprints, data, manuals, or other materials to determine specifications, inspection and testing procedures, adjustment methods, certification processes, formulas, or measuring instruments required. | Not published |
See all 31 tasks
| Not much | Read dials or meters to verify that equipment is functioning at specified levels. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor production operations or equipment to ensure conformance to specifications, making necessary process or assembly adjustments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Recommend necessary corrective actions, based on inspection results. | 0.13% |
| AI + software | Write test or inspection reports describing results, recommendations, or needed repairs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record inspection or test data, such as weights, temperatures, grades, or moisture content, and quantities inspected or graded. | Not published |
| Not much | Make minor adjustments to equipment, such as turning setscrews to calibrate instruments to required tolerances. | Not published |
| Not much | Position products, components, or parts for testing. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove defects, such as chips, burrs, or lap corroded or pitted surfaces. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, maintain, calibrate, or repair measuring instruments or test equipment, such as dial indicators, fixed gauges, or height gauges. | Not published |
| Not much | Check arriving materials to ensure that they match purchase orders, submitting discrepancy reports as necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect or select samples for testing or for use as models. | Not published |
| Not much | Stack or arrange tested products for further processing, shipping, or packaging. | Not published |
| Not much | Disassemble defective parts or components, such as inaccurate or worn gauges or measuring instruments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compare colors, shapes, textures, or grades of products or materials with color charts, templates, or samples to verify conformance to standards. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Adjust, clean, or repair products or processing equipment to correct defects found during inspections. | Not published |
| AI alone | Analyze test data, making computations as necessary, to determine test results. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Fabricate, install, position, or connect components, parts, finished products, or instruments for testing or operational purposes. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor machines that automatically measure, sort, or inspect products. | Not published |
| Not much | Weigh materials, products, containers, or samples to verify packaging weights or ingredient quantities. | Not published |
| Not much | Grade, classify, or sort products according to sizes, weights, colors, or other specifications. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Inspect or test raw materials, parts, or products to determine compliance with environmental standards. | Not published |
| AI alone | Compute defect percentages or averages, using formulas and calculators. | Not published |
| AI + software | Administer tests to assess whether engineers or operators are qualified to use equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Compute usable amounts of items in shipments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Interpret legal requirements, provide safety information, or recommend compliance procedures to contractors, craft workers, engineers, or property owners. | 0.01% |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 6 of the 31 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 31 tasks fall under 25 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Evaluate production inputs or outputs | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Repair tools or equipment |
Show all 25 activities
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or products | |||
| Connect components or supply lines to equipment or tools | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Sort materials or products | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment | |||
| Fabricate devices or components | |||
| Collect samples of products or materials | |||
| Position workpieces or materials on equipment | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An analysis or summary22%
- A document or report17%
- Advice or a recommendation13%
- A resume or job application9%
- A plan or strategy7%
How they worked with Claude
63% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 139,731 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Industrial Production Managers High +2.6% 4%
- 3 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 148,001 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
- 3 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 4 Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 70% high school
- 27% postsecondary certificate
- 3% some college
- 1% associate's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 20 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 8% less than high school
- 36% high school
- 27% some college
- 11% associate's
- 14% bachelor's
- 3% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 8,123 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Quality Control Technology/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
15.9% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | <0.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 7.7% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 30 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/51-9061.00