Transportation Inspectors
Also called: Cargo Surveyor, Marine Cargo Surveyor, Marine Surveyor, Petroleum InspectorInspect equipment or goods in connection with the safe transport of cargo or people. Includes rail transportation inspectors, such as freight inspectors, rail inspectors, and other inspectors of transportation vehicles not elsewhere classified.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 10 of its 17 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 2.2% 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.”
BLS figures cover the broader occupation “Transportation inspectors”, which includes this one and others.
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 47% 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.4.3 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 | $108,140 | $101,440 to $108,140 | 670 |
| Alaska | $123,120 | $100,190 to $146,950 | 170 |
| Arizona | $62,250 | $38,700 to $92,680 | 830 |
| Arkansas | $85,130 | $54,380 to $107,370 | 120 |
| California | $83,000 | $55,660 to $114,850 | 1,790 |
| Colorado | $81,820 | $52,340 to $127,270 | 460 |
| Connecticut | $91,520 | $77,290 to $121,600 | 330 |
| Delaware | not published | not published | 90 |
| District of Columbia | $89,960 | $79,210 to $132,620 | 150 |
| Florida | $101,470 | $67,800 to $134,600 | 1,630 |
| Georgia | $95,030 | $61,620 to $117,620 | 880 |
| Guam | $52,540 | $46,610 to $64,770 | 70 |
| Hawaii | $108,270 | $65,980 to $138,670 | 150 |
| Idaho | $54,330 | $43,600 to $128,670 | 170 |
| Illinois | $47,990 | $39,920 to $93,950 | 1,130 |
| Indiana | $80,330 | $53,990 to $107,330 | 250 |
| Iowa | $116,850 | $89,340 to $150,630 | 60 |
| Kansas | $103,380 | $47,220 to $106,780 | 210 |
| Kentucky | $83,970 | $53,670 to $112,400 | 260 |
| Louisiana | $77,460 | $46,920 to $105,370 | 130 |
| Maine | $63,750 | $49,630 to $119,350 | 90 |
| Maryland | $100,700 | $71,990 to $124,590 | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $79,650 | $41,420 to $105,870 | not published |
| Michigan | $35,890 | $33,500 to $88,710 | 540 |
| Minnesota | $92,860 | $35,050 to $140,880 | 310 |
| Missouri | $64,690 | $54,110 to $108,830 | 380 |
| Montana | $62,810 | $53,690 to $97,880 | 180 |
| Nebraska | not published | not published | 200 |
| Nevada | $50,060 | $46,800 to $91,710 | 430 |
| New Jersey | $49,250 | $45,010 to $80,190 | 930 |
| New Mexico | $63,690 | $50,070 to $88,310 | 230 |
| New York | $93,420 | $93,420 to $93,420 | 3,720 |
| North Carolina | $84,470 | $65,310 to $110,630 | 380 |
| North Dakota | $106,330 | $79,440 to $122,930 | 60 |
| Ohio | $77,010 | $58,320 to $121,040 | 430 |
| Oklahoma | $111,070 | $109,990 to $111,070 | 470 |
| Oregon | $78,110 | $67,170 to $113,550 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,550 | $61,550 to $131,810 | 340 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,760 | $28,160 to $34,940 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $80,490 | $80,490 to $90,080 | 440 |
| South Dakota | $70,080 | $48,980 to $92,900 | 100 |
| Tennessee | $78,430 | $40,410 to $97,450 | 420 |
| Texas | $101,440 | $74,500 to $129,570 | 2,290 |
| Utah | $64,480 | $49,750 to $100,420 | 210 |
| Virginia | $68,610 | $58,620 to $100,680 | 330 |
| Washington | $104,250 | $81,520 to $147,430 | 490 |
| West Virginia | $58,670 | $50,200 to $97,850 | 90 |
| Wisconsin | $75,260 | $69,110 to $101,940 | 120 |
Nationally: $92,100. 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 17 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Record details about freight conditions, handling of freight, and any problems encountered. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare and submit reports after completion of freight shipments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Inspect shipments to ensure that freight is securely braced and blocked. | Not published |
| AI + software | Inspect loaded cargo, cargo lashed to decks or in storage facilities, and cargo handling devices to determine compliance with health and safety regulations and need for maintenance. | Not published |
| AI + software | Observe loading of freight to ensure that crews comply with procedures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Notify workers of any special treatment required for shipments. | Not published |
See all 17 tasks
| Not much | Check temperatures and humidities of shipping and storage areas to ensure that they are at appropriate levels to protect cargo. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine cargo transportation capabilities by reading documents that set forth cargo loading and securing procedures, capacities, and stability factors. | Not published |
| AI alone | Recommend remedial procedures to correct any violations found during inspections. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Direct crews to reload freight or to insert additional bracing or packing as necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Advise crews in techniques of stowing dangerous and heavy cargo. | Not published |
| Not much | Read draft markings to determine depths of vessels in water. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure heights and widths of loads to ensure they will pass over bridges or through tunnels on scheduled routes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Post warning signs on vehicles containing explosives or flammable or radioactive materials. | Not published |
| AI + software | Calculate gross and net tonnage, hold capacities, volumes of stored fuel and water, cargo weights, and vessel stability factors, using mathematical formulas. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Measure vessels' holds and depths of fuel and water in tanks, using sounding lines and tape measures. | Not published |
| Not much | Visually inspect cargo for damage upon arrival or discharge. | Not published |
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. O*NET hasn't rated 3 of the tasks, so they come last, in O*NET's own order. 2 of the 17 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 17 tasks fall under 11 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
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or products |
Show all 11 activities
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation24%
- A document or report18%
- An analysis or summary13%
- An explanation or answer13%
- Math or a calculation6%
How they worked with Claude
48% 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 transportation inspectors 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 4,826 moves out
- 1 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Low +5.4% 10%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 3 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 5%
- 4 Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Moderate +5.0% 4%
- 5 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 5,788 moves in
- 1 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Low +5.4% 11%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Moderate +5.0% 4%
- 4 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 4%
- 5 Avionics Technicians Moderate +9.4% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 31% high school
- 28% some college
- 15% associate's
- 14% bachelor's
- 7% master's
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 391 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
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
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
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
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