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Usda Inspector Jobs in Hawaii (NOW HIRING)

Kualoa Ranch Hawai'i

Product Receiver - F&B

Kaneohe, HI · On-site

$23/hr

... USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. The Product Receiver - Food & Beverage ... Inspect all products for quality, proper labeling, intact packaging, and signs of damage or ...

All JobsUsda Inspector JobsUsda Inspector Jobs in Hawaii

Usda Inspector information

See Hawaii salary details

$25.5K

$57.1K

$102.9K

How much do usda inspector jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 1, 2026, the average yearly pay for usda inspector in Hawaii is $57,079.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $40,000.00 and $66,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

AspectUsda InspectorFood Safety Inspector
CertificationsUSDA certifications, food safety trainingFood safety certifications, possibly USDA training
Work EnvironmentInspecting farms, processing plants, slaughterhousesInspecting food facilities, restaurants, processing plants
Employer & IndustryUSDA, federal government, agriculture & food industryLocal/state agencies, federal agencies, food industry

Both roles focus on food safety and require similar certifications. USDA Inspectors primarily work within the agricultural and processing sectors, ensuring compliance with federal standards. Food Safety Inspectors may work in various food-related environments, including restaurants and local facilities, often with overlapping certifications. The main difference lies in their specific work settings and regulatory focus.

How many years does it take to be a food inspector?

Becoming a USDA food inspector typically requires a bachelor's degree in a related field such as food science, biology, or agriculture, which takes about four years to complete. Additionally, applicants often need to complete on-the-job training and pass certification exams, which can add several months to a year depending on the program and position.

What are USDA Inspectors?

USDA Inspectors are professionals employed by the United States Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that food products, especially meat, poultry, and eggs, meet federal safety and quality standards. They conduct inspections at processing plants, slaughterhouses, and other facilities to verify compliance with regulations. Their duties include checking for contamination, proper labeling, and adherence to sanitation protocols. By enforcing these standards, USDA Inspectors help protect public health and maintain consumer confidence in the nation's food supply.

How much do food safety inspectors make in the US?

Food safety inspectors, including USDA inspectors, typically earn a median annual salary of around $45,000 to $60,000 in the US. Salaries vary based on experience, location, and level of certification, with some inspectors earning over $70,000 annually. The role often requires knowledge of food safety standards and inspection procedures.

What are the requirements to be an USDA inspector?

To become an USDA inspector, candidates typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, relevant work experience in food safety or inspection, and must pass written and practical exams. Additional certifications or training in food science, agriculture, or related fields are often required, along with the ability to work in various environments and adhere to strict safety standards.

What are some common challenges USDA Inspectors face in their daily work, and how are they typically addressed?

USDA Inspectors often encounter challenges such as managing a high volume of inspections, adapting to changing regulations, and maintaining objectivity under pressure from producers or facility staff. To address these, inspectors rely on thorough training, ongoing professional development, and clear communication with both team members and facility personnel. Support from supervisors and standardized protocols also help ensure that inspectors can uphold food safety and quality standards consistently, even when facing difficult situations.

Can you be a food inspector without a degree?

Becoming a USDA food inspector typically requires at least a high school diploma or equivalent, but many positions prefer or require some college coursework or a degree in food science, agriculture, or a related field. Certification and experience in food safety or inspection procedures are also important for employment in this role.

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

To thrive as a USDA Inspector, you need a solid understanding of food safety regulations, inspection procedures, and often a degree in agriculture, food science, or a related field. Familiarity with inspection tools, laboratory testing methods, and USDA compliance systems is typically required. Attention to detail, strong communication, and integrity help inspectors identify safety issues and work effectively with facility staff. These skills ensure public health and regulatory compliance by maintaining high standards of food quality and safety.
What cities in Hawaii are hiring for Usda Inspector jobs? Cities in Hawaii with the most Usda Inspector job openings:
Usda Inspector jobs near you
Infographic showing various Usda Inspector job openings in Hawaii as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 75% In-person, and 25% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $57,079 per year, or $27.4 per hour.

Consumer Safety Inspector

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Ookala, HI • On-site

$42K/yr

Other

PTO

Posted 10 days ago

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 add'l information contact Sandy Cai at suyin.cai@usda.gov or Tutu Sidhu at sukhdeep.sidhu@usda.gov.
Employee may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Alameda 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.
THIS POSITION REQUIRES A PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL: Position Requirements.
Applicants must:
  • Be physically and medically able to efficiently perform the essential job functions, without being a direct threat to themselves and others.
  • Have full range of motion to perform rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level.
  • Be able to stand and walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks, and climbing stairs and ladders.
  • Be able to lift, carry, push and pull up to 30 pounds, with occasional lifting of up to 50 pounds.
  • Have manual dexterity of the upper body, including arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in both hands.
  • Have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye.
  • Have the ability to distinguish shades of color. Any significant degree of color blindness (more than 25 percent error rate on approved color plate test) may be disqualifying.
  • Individuals with some hearing loss and/or requiring hearing amplification will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
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

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