Food Inspectors

Food Inspectors Salary

$11K

$37.5K

$62.5K

$40,785

/year

$19.61

/hour

Food Inspectors Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$40,785

Columbus

Ohio

$39,394

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    How much does a Food Inspectors make?

    As of Aug 18, 2026, the average annual pay for a Food Inspectors in the United States is $40,785 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.61 an hour. This is the equivalent of $784/week or $3,398/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $62,500 and as low as $11,000, the majority of Food Inspectors salaries currently range between $37,500 (25th percentile) to $43,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $58,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Food Inspectors varies greatly (by as much as 6000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Food Inspectors in your area makes on average $39,394 per year, or $1,391 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $40,785. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Food Inspectors salaries.

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

    Find your next high paying job as a Food Inspectors on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Food Inspectors Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Food Inspectors job is above the national average. Topping the list is Severn, MD, , with Savage, MD, and Pennington County, SD, close behind in the second and third positions. Pennington County, SD, beats the national average by $30,291 (74.3%), and Severn, MD, furthers that trend with another $37,316 (91.5%) above the $40,785 average.

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

    However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 18% between Severn, MD, and Mount Morris, IL, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Food Inspectors role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Severn, MD

    $78,101

    $37.55

    Savage, MD

    $72,781

    $34.99

    Pennington County, SD

    $71,076

    $34.17

    Oakdale, CA

    $70,636

    $33.96

    Beverly, MA

    $69,764

    $33.54

    New Providence, NJ

    $69,363

    $33.35

    Glenwood Springs, CO

    $68,558

    $32.96

    Phelan, CA

    $66,544

    $31.99

    Chadds Ford, PA

    $66,283

    $31.87

    Mount Morris, IL

    $64,859

    $31.18

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Food Inspectors Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Food Inspectors category.

    For example Senior Manager Quality Assurance jobs pay as much as $77,096 (189.0%) more than the average Food Inspectors salary of $40,785. If you're qualified, finding work as a Senior Manager Quality Assurance may help you make more money than that of the average Food Inspectors position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Senior Manager Quality Assurance

    $117,881

    $56.67

    Food Manufacturing

    $100,159

    $48.15

    Food Safety Coordinator

    $50,711

    $24.38

    Food Technology

    $41,974

    $20.18

    Food Companies

    $29,393

    $14.13

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Food Inspectors salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $40,785 per year or $19.61 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.