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Usda Food Inspector Jobs (NOW HIRING)

USDA Coordinator

Fall River, MA · On-site

$21 - $27/hr

Meaningful Impact - Help keep America's food supply safe and moving every day. About the Role As ... Manage and coordinate USDA import and export inspections in compliance with federal regulations.

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Usda Food Inspector information

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$11K

$40.8K

$63K

How much do usda food inspector jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for usda food inspector in the United States is $40,785.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $37,500.00 and $43,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Usda Food Inspector vs Food Safety Auditor?

AspectUsda Food InspectorFood Safety Auditor
CertificationsFood Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) certifications, possibly HACCPISO 22000, HACCP, or other food safety standards
Work EnvironmentInspecting meat, poultry, and processed foods at processing plantsAuditing food facilities for compliance, often off-site or at multiple locations
Employer & IndustryUSDA, government agencies, food processing industryPrivate consulting firms, food companies, regulatory agencies

While both roles focus on food safety, USDA Food Inspectors primarily conduct on-site inspections of food processing facilities to ensure compliance with federal standards. Food Safety Auditors evaluate and verify food safety management systems through audits, often working across multiple sites. Both roles require knowledge of food safety regulations but differ in their scope and work environment.

How hard is it to become a food inspector?

Becoming a USDA food inspector typically requires a high school diploma or equivalent, relevant work experience, and passing a written exam and interview. Candidates often need knowledge of food safety standards, inspection procedures, and may need to complete specialized training or certification programs. The process can be competitive and involves meeting federal employment requirements.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a USDA Food Inspector, and why are they important?

To thrive as a USDA Food Inspector, you need a solid understanding of food safety regulations, inspection procedures, and public health principles, typically supported by relevant experience or education in food science or a related field. Familiarity with inspection tools, data entry systems, and regulatory documentation is commonly required, and some roles may require specific USDA training or certifications. Strong attention to detail, integrity, and effective communication are essential soft skills for this position. These skills ensure that food products meet safety standards, protecting public health and maintaining regulatory compliance.

What are the requirements for a food inspector?

Food inspectors employed by the USDA typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, with many positions requiring a bachelor's degree in food science, biology, or a related field. They must pass a background check, complete specialized training, and often obtain certifications such as the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) certification. Strong attention to detail, good communication skills, and the ability to work in various environments are also important.

What are some common challenges USDA Food Inspectors face in their daily work?

USDA Food Inspectors often encounter challenges such as working in fast-paced environments, ensuring strict adherence to food safety regulations, and effectively communicating with plant management and workers. They must be vigilant in identifying potential hazards and making quick decisions to prevent unsafe food from reaching consumers. The role may also involve working in varying temperatures and standing for long periods, which requires adaptability and attention to detail. Strong teamwork and clear documentation are essential for maintaining high standards and addressing compliance issues.

What are USDA Food Inspectors?

USDA Food Inspectors are trained professionals employed by the United States Department of Agriculture to ensure that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. They inspect food processing plants, slaughterhouses, and other facilities to enforce federal regulations and safety standards. Their work helps protect public health by preventing contaminated or unsafe food from reaching consumers.

How to become a food inspector for the USDA?

To become a USDA food inspector, candidates typically need a bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as food science, biology, or agriculture, and must pass a written exam and interview. Relevant experience, such as internships or work in food safety, and certification in food safety standards like ServSafe, can improve prospects. The role involves working in inspection environments, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, and may require periodic training and certification updates.

How long does it take to become an USDA inspector?

Becoming a USDA Food Inspector typically requires completing a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and gaining several years of work experience in food safety or inspection. The process can take around 2 to 4 years, including education, training, and certification requirements such as passing the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) exam and completing on-the-job training.
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What cities are hiring for Usda Food Inspector jobs? Cities with the most Usda Food Inspector job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Usda Food Inspector jobs? The most popular types of Usda Food Inspector jobs are:
What states have the most Usda Food Inspector jobs? States with the most job openings for Usda Food Inspector jobs include:

$40K/yr

Other

PTO

Posted 5 days ago


Job description

$5,000 Sign on Bonus, Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual, Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, Accelerated Promotion Program for some locations, and Referral Bonus Awards are available.
Shifts and species will vary based on assignment. For additional information call Harris, Walter @ 630-317-1113 for IN, OH, MI and Smith, Tisha for PA.
Employee may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Chicago District.Qualifications:Applicants 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. Such experience may have been acquired in work such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aide, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or similar position with responsibility for sampling, quality control and sanitation in a food manufacturing or production environment, or similar environment for other ingestible items.
See specific grade level specialized experience definitions below.
For the GS-05 Level: Applicants 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. You are to show in your resume 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). Such experience may 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.
For the GS-07 Level: In addition to the qualifications above, applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 level), and incumbents are expected to 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.
For the GS-08 Level: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level). In addition to the qualifications above, 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.
For the GS-09 Level: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-08 level). In addition to the qualifications above, incumbents are expected to 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.
Please view OPM's Qualifications Standards, Consumer Safety Inspector Series, GS-1862.
The duties of a Consumer Safety Inspector are performed in a hazardous working environment. For additional information, please click here. The below requirements are not an all-inclusive list. Failure to fully meet a functional requirement is not automatically disqualifying.Education:Education may be used to qualify in lieu of specialized experience as described below.
For the GS-05 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.
For the GS-07 Level: One full year of directly related graduate education is qualifying for GS-07.
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.
For the GS-09 Level: Two full years of directly related graduate education or a directly related master's degree is qualifying for GS-09.
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.Employment Type: OTHER