Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers

What Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Do

Inspect, 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.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

1.4%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Production and Processingimportance 4.3/5
• English Languageimportance 3.6/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.4/5
• Mechanicalimportance 3.2/5
• Mathematicsimportance 3.1/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.9/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
• Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.6/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5/5
• Contact With Others4.5/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
• Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled4.4/5

Related Careers

• Calibration Technologists and Technicians
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
• Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
• Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
• Machine Feeders and Offbearers
• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
• Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Food Batchmakers94% skill match
• Sewing Machine Operators93% skill match
• Locomotive Engineers93% skill match
• Power Distributors and Dispatchers93% skill match
• Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders93% skill match
• Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders92% skill match
• Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers92% skill match
• Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators91% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.8/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
• Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
• Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
• Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Attention to Detail
• Cautiousness
• Dependability
• Integrity
• Achievement Orientation
• Perseverance
• Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• RealisticHigh
• ConventionalHigh
• InvestigativeMedium
• EnterprisingLow
• ArtisticLow
• SocialLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Columbus, IN4.70× national avg
2. 2Elkhart-Goshen, IN4.02× national avg
3. 3Morristown, TN3.69× national avg
4. 4Dalton, GA3.29× national avg
5. 5Sheboygan, WI3.17× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Machine Feeders and OffbearersCareer Change
• Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and TendersLateral Move
• Locomotive EngineersCareer Change
• Fiberglass Laminators and FabricatorsLateral Move

See the full career path from Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.