Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 14,100 people employed as agricultural inspectors in the United States. The median annual salary is $45,140. Entry level employees earn approximately $29,990 per year and senior employees earn approximately $69,450 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• 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.
• 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.
• Inspect food products and processing procedures to determine whether products are safe to eat.
• Interpret and enforce government acts and regulations and explain required standards to agricultural workers.
• Set standards for the production of meat or poultry products or for food ingredients, additives, or compounds used to prepare or package products.
• 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 grading performed by company employees to verify conformance to standards.
• 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.
• Direct or monitor the quarantine and treatment or destruction of plants or plant products.
• Collect samples from animals, plants, or products and route them to laboratories for microbiological assessment, ingredient verification, or other testing.
• Review and monitor foreign product inspection systems in countries of origin to ensure equivalence to the U.S. system.
• Inquire about pesticides or chemicals to which animals may have been exposed.
• Provide consultative services in areas such as equipment or product evaluation, plant construction or layout, or food safety systems.
• Testify in legal proceedings.
• Compare product recipes with government-approved formulas or recipes to determine acceptability.
• Advise farmers or growers of development programs or new equipment or techniques to aid in quality production.

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