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Agricultural Inspectors

	Median Wage (USD, 2025)	Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)	Projected Growth (2025-2035)
National Statistics	$49940	2200	1.4%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$49940

Median Wage (USD, 2025)

2200

Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)

1.4%

Projected Growth (2025-2035)

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

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
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.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Related Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Detailed Work Activities

Inspect products or operations to ensure that standards are met.
Examine animals to detect illness, injury or other problems.
Collect biological specimens.
Send information, materials or documentation.
Advise others on farming or forestry operations, regulations, or equipment.
Maintain operational records.
Warn individuals about rule violations or safety concerns.
Mark agricultural or forestry products for identification.
Package agricultural products for shipment or further processing.
Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures.
Prepare meat products for sale or consumption.
Establish standards for products, processes, or procedures.
Monitor processes for compliance with standards.
Dispose of trash or waste materials.
Care for plants or animals.
Coordinate safety or regulatory compliance activities.
Care for animals.
Provide care for animals.
Measure physical characteristics of forestry or agricultural products.
Inspect operational processes.
Monitor operational activities to ensure compliance with regulations or standard operating procedures.
Inspect equipment or systems.
Advise others on the development or use of new technologies.
Advise others on issues related to repairs, installation, or equipment design.
Advise others on career or personal development.
Testify at legal or legislative proceedings.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Inspect agricultural commodities or related operations, as well as fish or logging operations, for compliance with laws and regulations governing health, quality, and safety.
Interpret and enforce government acts and regulations and explain required standards to agricultural workers.
Inspect the cleanliness and practices of establishment employees.
Verify that transportation and handling procedures meet regulatory requirements.
Write reports of findings and recommendations and advise farmers, growers, or processors of corrective action to be taken.
Collect samples from animals, plants, or products and route them to laboratories for microbiological assessment, ingredient verification, or other testing.
Examine, weigh, and measure commodities, such as poultry, eggs, meat, or seafood to certify qualities, grades, and weights.
Provide consultative services in areas such as equipment or product evaluation, plant construction or layout, or food safety systems.
Inspect food products and processing procedures to determine whether products are safe to eat.
Monitor the operations and sanitary conditions of slaughtering or meat processing plants.
Label and seal graded products and issue official grading certificates.
Take emergency actions, such as closing production facilities, if product safety is compromised.
Review and monitor foreign product inspection systems in countries of origin to ensure equivalence to the U.S. system.
Compare product recipes with government-approved formulas or recipes to determine acceptability.
Monitor the grading performed by company employees to verify conformance to standards.
Inspect or test horticultural products or livestock to detect harmful diseases, chemical residues, or infestations and to determine the quality of products or animals.
Set standards for the production of meat or poultry products or for food ingredients, additives, or compounds used to prepare or package products.
Direct or monitor the quarantine and treatment or destruction of plants or plant products.
Inquire about pesticides or chemicals to which animals may have been exposed.
Set labeling standards and approve labels for meat or poultry products.
Advise farmers or growers of development programs or new equipment or techniques to aid in quality production.
Testify in legal proceedings.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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