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The national median salary for Agricultural Inspectors is $49,941 per year ($24.01/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $42,328 and $64,501 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $79,581 per year. There are approximately 14,410 agricultural inspectors employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Inspect agricultural commodities, processing equipment, and facilities, and fish and logging operations, to ensure compliance with regulations and laws governing health, quality, and safety.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.5%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
15K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
5K
$50,010
Animal Slaughtering and Processing
NAICS 311600
3K
$44,730
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
2K
$63,270
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
1K
$69,820
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
NAICS 541900
850
$48,300
Wage range across top 5 industries: $44,730 to $69,820 (56% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.80
$37,024
P25
$20.35
$42,328
P50MEDIAN
$24.01
$49,941
P75
$31.01
$64,501
P90
$38.26
$79,581
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average agricultural inspectors salary?
The national median salary for Agricultural Inspectors is $49,941 per year ($24.01/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $42,328 and $64,501 annually.
How much do top-earning agricultural inspectors make?
The 90th percentile salary for Agricultural Inspectors is $79,581 per year ($38.26/hr). The 75th percentile is $64,501 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for agricultural inspectors?
Entry-level Agricultural Inspectors (10th percentile) earn approximately $37,024 per year ($17.80/hr). The 25th percentile is $42,328 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.