SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Inspect equipment or goods in connection with the safe transport of cargo or people. Includes rail transportation inspectors, such as freight inspectors, rail inspectors, and other inspectors of transportation vehicles not elsewhere classified. Excludes “Transportation Security Screeners” (33-9093).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 53-6051.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $40,330 | $3,361 | $776 | $19.39 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $58,780 | $4,898 | $1,130 | $28.26 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $92,100 | $7,675 | $1,771 | $44.28 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $108,890 | $9,074 | $2,094 | $52.35 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $138,670 | $11,556 | $2,667 | $66.67 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Transportation Inspectors is $92,100, which is 81% higher. Among the 50 occupations of the field Transportation and Material Moving, it ranks number 6 by median pay. With 24,500 jobs, it makes up about 1.6 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Transportation Inspectors pay by state
The highest median pay was in Alaska ($123,120), Iowa ($116,850) and Oklahoma ($111,070). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($29,760), Michigan ($35,890) and Illinois ($47,990). The most jobs were in New York (3,720), Texas (2,290) and California (1,790). The occupation is most concentrated in Guam, where its share of all jobs is 6.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 170 | $123,120 | $122,000 | $59.19 |
| Iowa | 60 | $116,850 | $113,620 | $56.18 |
| Oklahoma | 470 | $111,070 | $113,280 | $53.40 |
| Hawaii | 150 | $108,270 | $104,440 | $52.05 |
| Alabama | 670 | $108,140 | $100,700 | $51.99 |
| North Dakota | 60 | $106,330 | $104,020 | $51.12 |
| Washington | 490 | $104,250 | $114,460 | $50.12 |
| Kansas | 210 | $103,380 | $87,200 | $49.70 |
| Florida | 1,630 | $101,470 | $100,840 | $48.78 |
| Texas | 2,290 | $101,440 | $101,160 | $48.77 |
| Maryland | 250 | $100,700 | $102,860 | $48.41 |
| Georgia | 880 | $95,030 | $92,300 | $45.69 |
| New York | 3,720 | $93,420 | $91,220 | $44.91 |
| Minnesota | 310 | $92,860 | $89,890 | $44.65 |
| Connecticut | 330 | $91,520 | $96,300 | $44.00 |
| District of Columbia | 150 | $89,960 | $106,370 | $43.25 |
| Arkansas | 120 | $85,130 | $80,870 | $40.93 |
| North Carolina | 380 | $84,470 | $88,120 | $40.61 |
| Kentucky | 260 | $83,970 | $85,350 | $40.37 |
| California | 1,790 | $83,000 | $88,500 | $39.90 |
| Colorado | 460 | $81,820 | $90,010 | $39.34 |
| Pennsylvania | 340 | $81,550 | $97,150 | $39.21 |
| South Carolina | 440 | $80,490 | $84,170 | $38.70 |
| Indiana | 250 | $80,330 | $83,380 | $38.62 |
| Massachusetts | not published | $79,650 | $77,420 | $38.29 |
| Tennessee | 420 | $78,430 | $78,420 | $37.71 |
| Oregon | 250 | $78,110 | $90,390 | $37.55 |
| Louisiana | 130 | $77,460 | $81,140 | $37.24 |
| Ohio | 430 | $77,010 | $88,950 | $37.02 |
| Wisconsin | 120 | $75,260 | $88,820 | $36.18 |
| South Dakota | 100 | $70,080 | $77,050 | $33.69 |
| Virginia | 330 | $68,610 | $83,420 | $32.99 |
| Missouri | 380 | $64,690 | $81,340 | $31.10 |
| Utah | 210 | $64,480 | $78,150 | $31.00 |
| Maine | 90 | $63,750 | $83,920 | $30.65 |
| New Mexico | 230 | $63,690 | $69,420 | $30.62 |
| Montana | 180 | $62,810 | $75,830 | $30.20 |
| Arizona | 830 | $62,250 | $73,380 | $29.93 |
| West Virginia | 90 | $58,670 | $74,120 | $28.21 |
| Idaho | 170 | $54,330 | $84,980 | $26.12 |
| Guam | 70 | $52,540 | $57,290 | $25.26 |
| Nevada | 430 | $50,060 | $70,360 | $24.07 |
| New Jersey | 930 | $49,250 | $65,330 | $23.68 |
| Illinois | 1,130 | $47,990 | $69,780 | $23.07 |
| Michigan | 540 | $35,890 | $65,260 | $17.25 |
| Puerto Rico | 250 | $29,760 | $40,330 | $14.31 |
| Delaware | 90 | not published | not published | not published |
| Nebraska | 200 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Commercial Pilots$123,220 a year
- Ship Engineers$109,530 a year
- Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels$92,460 a year
- Subway and Streetcar Operators$86,380 a year
- Locomotive Engineers$81,410 a year
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters$78,000 a year
Common questions
How much do Transportation Inspectors earn in the United States?
The median pay was $92,100 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $40,330 and the highest-paid 10% more than $138,670.
How many people work as Transportation Inspectors?
About 24,500 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.