What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Cargo Inspector?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Cargo Inspector jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Sitka, AK (20.5% above average), followed by San Francisco, CA and Oakland, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Sitka, AK $71,804 $5,983 $1,380 $34.52 San Francisco, CA $70,224 $5,852 $1,350 $33.76 Oakland, CA $70,058 $5,838 $1,347 $33.68 Santa Clara, CA $70,002 $5,833 $1,346 $33.65 Sunnyvale, CA $69,955 $5,829 $1,345 $33.63 San Jose, CA $69,856 $5,821 $1,343 $33.58 Daly City, CA $69,063 $5,755 $1,328 $33.20 Santa Cruz, CA $68,823 $5,735 $1,323 $33.09 Arlington, VA $68,572 $5,714 $1,318 $32.97 Richmond, CA $68,406 $5,700 $1,315 $32.89

Cargo Inspector

Cargo Inspector Salary

Q: How much does a Cargo Inspector make?

The average annual pay for a cargo inspector in the United States is $59,604 a year — that works out to approximately $28.66 an hour. The middle 80% of Cargo Inspectors earn between $28,000 (10th percentile) and $89,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Cargo Inspector Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Cargo Inspector in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Cdl Team Truck Driver at $28,346 (47.6%) above Cargo Inspector. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Cdl Team Truck Driver $87,950 $7,329 $1,691 $42.28 Sleeper $79,176 $6,598 $1,522 $38.07 Floater Cdl Truck Driver $75,877 $6,323 $1,459 $36.48 Triples $71,951 $5,995 $1,383 $34.59 Commercial Truck Driver $53,448 $4,454 $1,027 $25.70

$11K

$61K

$90K

$59,604

/year

$28.66

/hour

Cargo Inspector Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$59,604

Columbus

Ohio

$57,572

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How much does a Cargo Inspector make?

As of Aug 3, 2026, the average annual pay for a Cargo Inspector in the United States is $59,604 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $28.66 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,146/week or $4,967/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $90,000 and as low as $11,000, the majority of Cargo Inspector salaries currently range between $52,500 (25th percentile) to $64,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $89,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Cargo Inspector varies little (about 12000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

A Cargo Inspector in your area makes on average $57,572 per year, or $2,032 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $59,604. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Cargo Inspector salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Cargo Inspector jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Cargo Inspector on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Cargo Inspector Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Cargo Inspector job is above the national average. Topping the list is Sitka, AK, , with San Francisco, CA, and Oakland, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Oakland, CA, beats the national average by $10,454 (17.5%), and Sitka, AK, furthers that trend with another $12,200 (20.5%) above the $59,604 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Cargo Inspector appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Sitka, AK, and Richmond, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Cargo Inspector role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Sitka, AK	$71,804	$5,983	$1,380	$34.52
San Francisco, CA	$70,224	$5,852	$1,350	$33.76
Oakland, CA	$70,058	$5,838	$1,347	$33.68
Santa Clara, CA	$70,002	$5,833	$1,346	$33.65
Sunnyvale, CA	$69,955	$5,829	$1,345	$33.63
San Jose, CA	$69,856	$5,821	$1,343	$33.58
Daly City, CA	$69,063	$5,755	$1,328	$33.20
Santa Cruz, CA	$68,823	$5,735	$1,323	$33.09
Arlington, VA	$68,572	$5,714	$1,318	$32.97
Richmond, CA	$68,406	$5,700	$1,315	$32.89

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Cargo Inspector Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Cargo Inspector category.

For example Cdl Team Truck Driver jobs pay as much as $28,346 (47.6%) more than the average Cargo Inspector salary of $59,604. If you're qualified, finding work as a Cdl Team Truck Driver may help you make more money than that of the average Cargo Inspector position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Cdl Team Truck Driver	$87,950	$7,329	$1,691	$42.28
Sleeper	$79,176	$6,598	$1,522	$38.07
Floater Cdl Truck Driver	$75,877	$6,323	$1,459	$36.48
Triples	$71,951	$5,995	$1,383	$34.59
Commercial Truck Driver	$53,448	$4,454	$1,027	$25.70

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Cargo Inspector salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $59,604 per year or $28.66 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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