Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers

High Risk
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Occupation snapshot

What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
2.7/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

74% (High Risk)

High Risk (61-80%): This occupation shows a significant risk of end-to-end replacement by automation. Many core parts of the role may be structured, repeatable, software-driven, or physically predictable enough for AI, machines, or robotic systems to take over. If you work in this area, it may be worth exploring safer related careers or moving towards more human-centred responsibilities.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Human strengths important in this job

These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.

Decision-making and problem solving

Very important
Why this matters
Analyze information, weigh tradeoffs, and choose the best solution—especially when situations are ambiguous, high-stakes, or have real-world consequences.
Jobs that also use this strength

What users think

Based on 53 votes

66% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted that it's probable this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 74% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

View sentiment trend

Pay & outlook

Wages

Low paid relative to other professions

In 2024, the median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers was $47,460 ($23 per hour).

The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers was 4.1% lower than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.

View wage trend

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth

Slow growth relative to other professions.

The number of 'Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers' job openings is expected to remain the same by 2034

View employment trend

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Volume

Significantly greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2024 there were 591,180 people employed as 'Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers' within the United States.

This represents around 0.38% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 260 people are employed as 'Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers'.

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What people are saying (2)

abdirisaq Dahir (Highly likely)
08 Sep 2025 06:30
Jobs like Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers involve repetitive, rule-based tasks that can be efficiently handled by AI and robotics. With advances in machine vision and automation, these roles are at high risk of being replaced within the next 20 years.
Adam (Highly likely)
15 Jul 2023 15:40
Robotics will end up replacing 90%or more of our manual labor positions and other not manual labor. When this comes to reality it will for sure end the middle class and lower.

The quality of education will not help very much or level. This will end up to a massive revolt from the worker's who have no real issue with AI but with the greed of the corporation that has outsourced for profits instead of a continuum of the human workforce and betterment of both AI and humanity. If this is done correctly there would be a symbiotic relationship between both for the betterment of both.

Yet greed on both organic and non organic side's will cost to much of the much-needed resources and further the division of the very top and the lesser paid yet equal classes of everyone involved. There needs to be safe guards for both human and non human furthermore organic and non-organic. To prioritize protecting each from the other and from itself thier selfs. Hopefully AI has a much more positive prospective of future.
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Job description

Inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. May use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment.

O*NET-SOC code: 51-9061.00