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Agricultural Inspector

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What You Need to Know About Agricultural Inspector

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

Daily Life Of an Agricultural Inspector

  • Collect samples from animals, plants, or products and route them to laboratories for microbiological assessment, ingredient verification, or other testing.
  • Inspect or test horticultural products or livestock to detect harmful diseases, chemical residues, or infestations and to determine the quality of products or animals.
  • Inspect agricultural commodities or related operations, as well as fish or logging operations, for compliance with laws and regulations governing health, quality, and safety.
  • Review and monitor foreign product inspection systems in countries of origin to ensure equivalence to the U.S. system.
  • Monitor the operations and sanitary conditions of slaughtering or meat processing plants.
  • Direct or monitor the quarantine and treatment or destruction of plants or plant products.

Skills Needed to be an Agricultural Inspector

When polled, Agricultural Inspectors say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Types of Agricultural Inspector

  • Field Disease and Insect Control Inspector
  • Sugar Sampler
  • Compliance Manager
  • Fish Inspector
  • Tobacco Classer

Agricultural Inspector Employment Estimates

There were about 15,600 jobs for Agricultural Inspector in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 4.5% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 700 new jobs for Agricultural Inspector by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 2,200 job openings in this field each year.

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The states with the most job growth for Agricultural Inspector are Montana, North Dakota, and Washington. Watch out if you plan on working in Maryland, Vermont, or Ohio. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Agricultural Inspectors Salary

Agricultural Inspectors make between $27,930 and $67,400 a year.

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Agricultural Inspectors who work in Connecticut, New York, or Vermont, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Agricultural Inspectors in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Arizona $35,650
Arkansas $44,320
California $49,950
Colorado $47,390
Connecticut $73,150
Delaware $45,130
Florida $36,350
Georgia $41,670
Idaho $41,330
Illinois $56,050
Indiana $46,070
Iowa $51,760
Kansas $44,750
Kentucky $42,690
Louisiana $51,140
Maryland $47,090
Minnesota $45,600
Mississippi $39,410
Missouri $42,610
Montana $43,930
Nebraska $43,140
Nevada $30,430
New Jersey $59,590
New Mexico $38,270
New York $63,330
North Carolina $43,530
North Dakota $43,130
Ohio $45,630
Oklahoma $37,810
Oregon $44,020
Pennsylvania $55,700
South Carolina $41,780
Tennessee $44,860
Texas $49,840
Vermont $58,960
Virginia $42,060
Washington $46,720
West Virginia $35,750
Wisconsin $47,350
Wyoming $30,570

What Tools & Technology do Agricultural Inspectors Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Agricultural Inspectors:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Access
  • Word processing software
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Image processing software

How do I Become an Agricultural Inspector?

Individuals working as an Agricultural Inspector have obtained the following education levels:

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Where Agricultural Inspectors Work

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Agricultural Inspectors work in the following industries:

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Those interested in being an Agricultural Inspector may also be interested in:

Are you already one of the many Agricultural Inspector in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:

References:

Image Credit: {} via CC0 Public Domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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