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Agricultural Inspector

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What Do Agricultural Inspector Do?

Position 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.

List of Agricultural Inspector Job Duties

  • Set labeling standards and approve labels for meat or poultry products.
  • Write reports of findings and recommendations and advise farmers, growers, or processors of corrective action to be taken.
  • Verify that transportation and handling procedures meet regulatory requirements.
  • Label and seal graded products and issue official grading certificates.
  • Monitor the operations and sanitary conditions of slaughtering or meat processing plants.
  • Collect samples from animals, plants, or products and route them to laboratories for microbiological assessment, ingredient verification, or other testing.

Things an Agricultural Inspector Should Know How to Do

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

  • Health Inspector Food
  • Fish Inspector
  • Food Inspector
  • Fruit Inspector
  • Tree Inspector

What Kind of Agricultural Inspector Job Opportunities Are There?

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. The BLS estimates 2,200 yearly job openings in this field.

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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

Tools & Technologies Used by Agricultural Inspectors

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Agricultural Inspectors may use on a daily basis:

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

How to Become an Agricultural Inspector

Are there Agricultural Inspectors education requirements?

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Where do Agricultural Inspectors Work?

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The table below shows the approximate number of Agricultural Inspectors employed by various industries.

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Similar Careers

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

Those who work as an Agricultural Inspector sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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