Average Agricultural Inspectors Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Agricultural Inspectors is $49,940 per year. The middle 50% earn between $42,330 and $64,500, with 14,410 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 43 states and 75 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Agricultural Inspectors pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $37,020
- 25th
- $42,330
- Median
- $49,940
- 75th
- $64,500
- 90th
- $79,580
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Agricultural Inspectors earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for agricultural inspectors from 2024 to 2034. Growth is below the US average of roughly 4% across all occupations. The field is relatively stable but not expanding quickly.
- Projected growth
- +1.5%
- 200 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 2,200
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for agricultural inspectors.
Where Agricultural Inspectors earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where agricultural inspectors work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Minnesota at $77,150, about 54.5% above the national median. At the metro level, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA leads with a median of $93,840.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $93,840 | 30 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $84,910 | 130 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $83,120 | 50 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $82,640 | 40 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $82,200 | 60 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $79,210 | 170 |
| Modesto, CA | $78,310 | 30 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $77,550 | 110 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see agricultural inspectors pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Agricultural Inspectors rose from $45,490 to $49,940, a gain of +9.8% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $45,490 would need to be worth $57,285 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $49,940 is −$7,345 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -12.8% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 9.8% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +9.8%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -12.8%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Agricultural Inspectors median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $49,940
- 2024
- $50,990
- 2023
- $48,010
- 2022
- $44,720
- 2021
- $45,140
- 2020
- $46,700
- 2019
- $45,490
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Animal Breeders
- $51,130
- Agricultural Equipment Operators
- $41,730
- Agricultural Workers, All Other
- $39,850
- Logging Equipment Operators
- $49,740
- Logging Workers, All Other
- $50,840
Common salary questions for Agricultural Inspectors
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Agricultural Inspectors workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.