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Food Inspectors Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Food Service Shift Leader

Marion, VA · On-site

$14.75 - $20.25/hr

As a key member of the Food Service management team, the responsibilities of the Food Service Shift ... Inspect and rotate product on a regular basis while maintaining close dated items on Electronic ...

Food Runner

Williamsburg, VA · On-site

$15 - $17/hr

Quality Control: * Inspect food orders before delivery to ensure they meet quality and presentation standards. * Verify the accuracy of each order against the ticket to prevent errors or ...

Be Seen First

Conduct routine inspections of production areas to ensure compliance with company and regulatory ... Train and support employees on food safety and quality procedures. * Assist with third-party audits ...

Food Service Assistant Manager

Covington, VA · On-site

$13 - $18/hr

Monitor kitchen cleanliness and sanitation procedures, ensuring a safe environment for both staff and customers. * Assist in preparing for health inspections and ensure that the kitchen, food service ...

Monitor kitchen cleanliness and sanitation procedures, ensuring a safe environment for both staff and customers. * Assist in preparing for health inspections and ensure that the kitchen, food service ...

Food Pantry Manager The Food Pantry Manager reports to the Director of Community Outreach and ... Maintain pantry vehicles, including inspections, registrations, safety oversight, and documentation ...

Conducting Audits and Inspections * Implementing and Monitoring food safety * Training and Educating staff * Investigating food safety incidents * Ensuring compliance with regulations * Maintaining ...

Conducting Audits and Inspections * Implementing and Monitoring food safety * Training and Educating staff * Investigating food safety incidents * Ensuring compliance with regulations * Maintaining ...

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Showing results 1-20

Food Inspectors information

See Virginia salary details

$10.9K

$40.4K

$62.5K

How much do food inspectors jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for food inspectors in Virginia is $40,435.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $37,200.00 and $43,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Food Inspectors vs Food Safety Specialists?

AspectFood InspectorsFood Safety Specialists
Required CredentialsHigh school diploma, certifications in food safetySimilar certifications, often with additional training
Work EnvironmentGovernment agencies, food processing plants, restaurantsCorporate settings, consulting firms, regulatory agencies
Employer & Industry UsagePrimarily government, regulatory rolesPrivate companies, consulting, compliance roles
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

Food Inspectors focus on inspecting food establishments and ensuring compliance with safety regulations, often working for government agencies. Food Safety Specialists may work in similar environments but often focus on developing safety protocols, training, and consulting. Both roles require food safety certifications and share overlapping responsibilities, but their primary functions and employment settings differ slightly.

How do you become a food inspector?

To become a food inspector, candidates typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, with some positions requiring a college degree in food science, biology, or a related field. They often must complete training in food safety regulations and may need to obtain certification from relevant agencies, such as the Food Safety and Inspection Service or state health departments. Experience in food handling or inspection can also be beneficial.

How hard is it to be a food inspector?

Becoming a food inspector requires completing relevant education, such as a degree in food science, biology, or a related field, and passing a certification exam. The job involves inspecting food processing facilities, enforcing safety standards, and often requires attention to detail, good communication skills, and sometimes working irregular hours or in challenging environments.
Infographic showing various Food Inspectors job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 65% Full Time, 34% Part Time, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $40,435 per year, or $19.4 per hour.

$40K/yr

Full-time

PTO

Posted 12 days ago


USDA Forest Service rating

7.4

Company rating: 7.4 out of 10

Based on 120 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

161st of 294 rated public sector bodies


Job description

$5,000 Sign on Bonus, Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual, Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, Accelerated Promotion Program, and Referral Bonus Awards are available.
Shifts and species will vary based on assignment.
For additional information contact Laura Hutchison at (919) 214-1984 or laura.hutchison@usda.gov.
Employee may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Raleigh District.Qualifications:You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
Specialized experience:
Specialized experience is experience that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities or other products for human consumption. Your experience should be acquired working in positions such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aid, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or other related positions.
GS-5: You must have at least 52 weeks of qualifying experience that provided knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances, such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food or beverages for human consumption, or other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.
Your resume must show examples such as applying proper techniques for collecting samples and/or performing field tests and examinations (e.g. identifying abnormalities in the product or production environment and recommending corrective actions), developing written reports and/or reporting findings of results orally (e.g. documenting abnormalities in the product or production environment and communicating those findings to others), and/or skill in maintaining effective personal contacts with a variety of individuals (e.g. discussing findings with internal or external contacts regarding the food safety standards established in the production environment), or other similar work making determinations on products for human consumption or the production environment (e.g. ensuring conformance with established standards).
Your experience should have been acquired working positions such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aid, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or other related position.
GS-7: In addition to the qualifications above, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 level, and you must have performed standard and recurrent duties on an independent basis. Your resume should demonstrate at least 52 weeks of experience in independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances, such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food for human consumption, and other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.
GS-8: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level. In addition to the qualifications above, your experience must include working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts in order to inspect meat, poultry and egg products; working with basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices in order to verify plant HACCP and SSOP responsibilities; performing basic mathematics and elementary statistical concepts and methods to perform testing and sampling procedures; and experience in reaching and interpreting conclusions.
GS-9: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-8 level. In addition to the qualifications above, you must have experience working at a more independent level than lower graded CSIs, which may include duties such as recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage at locations outside of the official duty station.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through national service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Follow this link for more information on OPM's qualifications standards for the CSI position: Consumer Safety Inspector Series, GS-1862Education:Education may be used to qualify in lieu of specialized experience
GS-5 level:
  • Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours/credits in any combination of coursework in the areas of: agricultural, biological, or physical sciences, food technology, epidemiology, home economics, pharmacy, engineering, or nutrition. Specialized government or military training may be creditable if it is related directly to this position, or
  • A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (with some related coursework, as described in number 2 above) is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.
GS-7 Level:
  • One full year of directly related graduate education is qualifying, or
  • A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.
  • The course of study must directly reflect the job-related competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualifications and perform the duties of the position
GS-9 Level:
  • Two full years of graduate education, or a directly related master's degree, or
  • A combination of education and specialized experience. In this instance, only graduate education in excess of the first 18 semester hours directly related to the work of the position is creditable towards meeting the requirements, along with specialized work experience. The combination must equal 100% of the requirement. For example, if you have 33% of the education requirement, then you will need 67% of the specialized experience requirement.
  • The course of study must directly reflect the job-related competencies necessary to satisfy the minimum qualifications and perform the duties of the position
Employment Type: OTHER

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