45 Series · SOC 45-2011
Agricultural Inspectors Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $49,940
- Median / year
- $79,580
- Top 10% earn
- +1.5%
- Growth '23–'33
- 14,410
- US workers
Agricultural Inspectors professionals earn a median $49,940/year ($24.01/hr) nationally. The salary ranges from $37,020 (10th percentile) to $79,580 (90th percentile). Employment is projected to grow1.5% from 2023 to 2033, about average. The highest-paying state is Minnesota at $77,150. Approximately 14,410 people work in this role across the U.S. Entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Workplace safety grade: B (Safe).
Agricultural Inspectors (SOC 45-2011) pays a national median of $49,940 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $37,020 at the 10th percentile to $79,580 at the 90th, with a mean of $54,910 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 14,410 Americans work in this occupation across 43 reporting states and 109 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +1.5% change in employment from 2023 to 2033, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,200 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 23.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 2.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Minnesota pays the highest state median at $77,150, which is +54% above the national figure. The top metro is San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA at $93,840 — metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand.
Median Salary
$49,940
per year
Median Hourly
$24.01/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$54,910
average
Employment
14,410
jobs nationwide
Bar fills relative to a $200K reference ceiling. Marker shows the all-occupations US median for context — anything to the right of it earns above the typical American worker.
Job Outlook (2023–2033)
Projected Growth
+1.5%
About average
Annual Openings
2,200
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2023–2033
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
23.5/100K
Injury Rate
2.2/100
Danger Index
20.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Agricultural Inspectors roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Inspect food products and processing procedures to determine whether products are safe to eat.
- ▸ Inspect agricultural commodities or related operations, as well as fish or logging operations, for compliance with laws and regulations governing health, quality, and safety.
- ▸ Label and seal graded products and issue official grading certificates.
- ▸ Monitor the operations and sanitary conditions of slaughtering or meat processing plants.
- ▸ Take emergency actions, such as closing production facilities, if product safety is compromised.
- ▸ Interpret and enforce government acts and regulations and explain required standards to agricultural workers.
- ▸ Verify that transportation and handling procedures meet regulatory requirements.
- ▸ Inspect the cleanliness and practices of establishment employees.
- ▸ Examine, weigh, and measure commodities, such as poultry, eggs, meat, or seafood to certify qualities, grades, and weights.
- ▸ Inspect or test horticultural products or livestock to detect harmful diseases, chemical residues, or infestations and to determine the quality of products or animals.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$37,020
25th Percentile
$42,330
Median
$49,940
75th Percentile
$64,500
90th Percentile
$79,580
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 43 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $77,150 | +54% above national |
| 2 | New York | $73,920 | +48% above national |
| 3 | Ohio | $69,280 | +39% above national |
| 4 | Michigan | $65,730 | +32% above national |
| 5 | Vermont | $63,630 | +27% above national |
| 6 | Louisiana | $63,130 | +26% above national |
| 7 | Washington | $62,880 | +26% above national |
| 8 | Illinois | $62,000 | +24% above national |
| 9 | Hawaii | $60,650 | +21% above national |
| 10 | Maryland | $58,160 | +16% above national |
| 11 | North Dakota | $57,590 | +15% above national |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $55,650 | +11% above national |
| 13 | Nebraska | $55,090 | +10% above national |
| 14 | Utah | $53,930 | +8% above national |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $53,640 | +7% above national |
| 16 | California | $53,620 | +7% above national |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $53,060 | +6% above national |
| 18 | Oregon | $53,060 | +6% above national |
| 19 | New Mexico | $52,450 | +5% above national |
| 20 | Kansas | $51,630 | +3% above national |
| 21 | Delaware | $51,590 | +3% above national |
| 22 | Colorado | $50,430 | +1% above national |
| 23 | South Carolina | $49,940 | same as national |
| 24 | Texas | $49,940 | same as national |
| 25 | Iowa | $49,600 | 1% below national |
| 26 | Idaho | $48,650 | 3% below national |
| 27 | Indiana | $48,560 | 3% below national |
| 28 | Tennessee | $47,840 | 4% below national |
| 29 | North Carolina | $47,760 | 4% below national |
| 30 | Virginia | $47,380 | 5% below national |
| 31 | Kentucky | $46,640 | 7% below national |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $46,510 | 7% below national |
| 33 | Missouri | $46,220 | 7% below national |
| 34 | Arizona | $45,700 | 8% below national |
| 35 | Florida | $43,990 | 12% below national |
| 36 | Arkansas | $42,060 | 16% below national |
| 37 | Maine | $41,760 | 16% below national |
| 38 | New Jersey | $41,520 | 17% below national |
| 39 | Georgia | $41,460 | 17% below national |
| 40 | Mississippi | $39,960 | 20% below national |
| 41 | Alabama | $39,300 | 21% below national |
| 42 | Nevada | $39,270 | 21% below national |
| 43 | Wyoming | $36,670 | 27% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 109 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $93,840 | +88% above national |
| 2 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $84,910 | +70% above national |
| 3 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $83,120 | +66% above national |
| 4 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $82,640 | +65% above national |
| 5 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $82,200 | +65% above national |
| 6 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $79,210 | +59% above national |
| 7 | Modesto, CA | $78,310 | +57% above national |
| 8 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $77,550 | +55% above national |
| 9 | Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $73,650 | +47% above national |
| 10 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $70,860 | +42% above national |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $70,140 | +40% above national |
| 12 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $69,710 | +40% above national |
| 13 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $67,200 | +35% above national |
| 14 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $65,520 | +31% above national |
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $64,960 | +30% above national |
| 16 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $64,790 | +30% above national |
| 17 | Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $64,430 | +29% above national |
| 18 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $64,110 | +28% above national |
| 19 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $63,970 | +28% above national |
| 20 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $63,650 | +27% above national |
| 21 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $63,490 | +27% above national |
| 22 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $63,130 | +26% above national |
| 23 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $62,880 | +26% above national |
| 24 | Yakima, WA | $62,880 | +26% above national |
| 25 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $62,440 | +25% above national |
| 26 | Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $61,820 | +24% above national |
| 27 | Fort Wayne, IN | $61,440 | +23% above national |
| 28 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $60,590 | +21% above national |
| 29 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $60,180 | +21% above national |
| 30 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $58,480 | +17% above national |
| 31 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $58,290 | +17% above national |
| 32 | Visalia, CA | $57,540 | +15% above national |
| 33 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $57,080 | +14% above national |
| 34 | Bismarck, ND | $57,060 | +14% above national |
| 35 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $56,960 | +14% above national |
| 36 | Fresno, CA | $56,890 | +14% above national |
| 37 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $56,870 | +14% above national |
| 38 | South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $56,530 | +13% above national |
| 39 | Jefferson City, MO | $56,080 | +12% above national |
| 40 | El Centro, CA | $55,690 | +12% above national |
| 41 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $55,650 | +11% above national |
| 42 | Northeast Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $55,090 | +10% above national |
| 43 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $54,500 | +9% above national |
| 44 | Madison, WI | $54,040 | +8% above national |
| 45 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $53,460 | +7% above national |
| 46 | Oklahoma City, OK | $53,060 | +6% above national |
| 47 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $52,820 | +6% above national |
| 48 | Las Cruces, NM | $52,450 | +5% above national |
| 49 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $52,450 | +5% above national |
| 50 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $52,420 | +5% above national |
| 51 | Omaha, NE-IA | $52,120 | +4% above national |
| 52 | West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $51,630 | +3% above national |
| 53 | Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $51,630 | +3% above national |
| 54 | Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $51,630 | +3% above national |
| 55 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $51,250 | +3% above national |
| 56 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $51,170 | +2% above national |
| 57 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $51,000 | +2% above national |
| 58 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $50,520 | +1% above national |
| 59 | Boise City, ID | $50,400 | +1% above national |
| 60 | Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $50,390 | +1% above national |
| 61 | Florence, SC | $49,940 | same as national |
| 62 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $49,940 | same as national |
| 63 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $49,940 | same as national |
| 64 | Twin Falls, ID | $49,940 | same as national |
| 65 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $49,940 | same as national |
| 66 | Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $49,940 | same as national |
| 67 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $49,930 | same as national |
| 68 | Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $49,630 | 1% below national |
| 69 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $49,490 | 1% below national |
| 70 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $49,220 | 1% below national |
| 71 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $48,920 | 2% below national |
| 72 | Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $48,750 | 2% below national |
| 73 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $48,380 | 3% below national |
| 74 | Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $48,140 | 4% below national |
| 75 | South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $47,840 | 4% below national |
| 76 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $47,770 | 4% below national |
| 77 | Lincoln, NE | $47,400 | 5% below national |
| 78 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $46,720 | 6% below national |
| 79 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $46,410 | 7% below national |
| 80 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $46,000 | 8% below national |
| 81 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $45,910 | 8% below national |
| 82 | Lebanon, PA | $45,670 | 9% below national |
| 83 | Harrisonburg, VA | $45,560 | 9% below national |
| 84 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $44,970 | 10% below national |
| 85 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $44,870 | 10% below national |
| 86 | Idaho Falls, ID | $44,510 | 11% below national |
| 87 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $44,450 | 11% below national |
| 88 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $43,990 | 12% below national |
| 89 | St. Joseph, MO-KS | $43,880 | 12% below national |
| 90 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $43,160 | 14% below national |
| 91 | South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $42,640 | 15% below national |
| 92 | Jackson, MS | $41,790 | 16% below national |
| 93 | North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $41,480 | 17% below national |
| 94 | Gainesville, GA | $41,460 | 17% below national |
| 95 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $41,160 | 18% below national |
| 96 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $40,530 | 19% below national |
| 97 | Macon-Bibb County, GA | $40,330 | 19% below national |
| 98 | Lower West Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $39,960 | 20% below national |
| 99 | Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $37,650 | 25% below national |
| 100 | Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area | $37,620 | 25% below national |
| 101 | Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $37,620 | 25% below national |
| 102 | Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area | $37,030 | 26% below national |
| 103 | Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $36,820 | 26% below national |
| 104 | Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $36,350 | 27% below national |
| 105 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $36,280 | 27% below national |
| 106 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $36,190 | 28% below national |
| 107 | North Florida nonmetropolitan area | $35,600 | 29% below national |
| 108 | Gainesville, FL | $35,360 | 29% below national |
| 109 | Dothan, AL | $31,450 | 37% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 45 (farming fishing and forestry) with comparable pay and career paths.
Salary Guides
Primary source data
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Agricultural Inspectors make? ▼
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What education do you need to become a Agricultural Inspectors? ▼
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How does Agricultural Inspectors pay vary by state? ▼
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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.