# Agricultural Inspectors

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

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-inspectors
- SOC code: 45-2011.00
- Career family: Farming, fishing and forestry
- Median annual pay: $49,940 (10th percentile $37,020, 90th percentile $79,580)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.3%
- Openings a year: 2,500
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 73 |
| Investigative (I) | 51 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 15 |
| Enterprising (E) | 35 |
| Conventional (C) | 70 |

## What you'd do

- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 87/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 86/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 86/100)
- Getting Information (importance 83/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 81/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 76/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 74/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 73/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 73/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 73/100)

## Skills

Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Law and Government, Administrative, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Education and Training, Food Production, Computers and Electronics

## Also called

Agricultural Commodities Grader (ACG), Agricultural Commodities Inspector, Agricultural Commodity Grader (ACG), Agricultural Products Agent, Agriculture Inspector, Apiary Inspector, Brand Inspector, Cattle Examiner, Cattle Inspector, Cotton Inspector

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- Agricultural and Food Products Processing (CIP 0104, 32 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Kansas State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/kansas-state-university-1364) | Agricultural and Food Products Processing | $87,336 | $91,040 | $16,862 |
| [Morningside College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/morningside-college-1779) | Agricultural and Food Products Processing | not reported | $66,368 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Construction and Building Inspectors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/construction-and-building-inspectors): $74,690 median pay
- [Food Science Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/food-science-technicians): $52,130 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-farming-fishing-and-forestry-workers): $59,320 median pay
- [Aviation Inspectors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aviation-inspectors): $92,100 median pay
- [Agricultural Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agricultural-technicians): $49,630 median pay
- [Occupational Health and Safety Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/occupational-health-and-safety-technicians): $61,560 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.