Agricultural Inspectors Salary
The median pay for a agricultural inspectors in St. Joseph, MO-KS is $43,880/year ($21.1/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.38), which stretches that salary to about $50,799 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,077/month, about 36% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in St. Joseph?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Joseph’s Regional Price Parity (86.38). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About agricultural inspectors
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What this looks like in St. Joseph
Pay for agricultural inspectors in St. Joseph runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,077/month, which is 35.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.38 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for agricultural inspectorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for agricultural inspectors in metros near St. Joseph, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $51K | $55K |
| St. Louis | $55K | $57K |
| Jefferson City | $56K | $64K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $65K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Joseph, MO-KS
Entry-level agricultural inspectors (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $7K spread from bottom to top.
Agricultural Inspectors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Agricultural Inspectors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $77K | +54% | 180 |
| New York | $74K | +48% | 340 |
| Ohio | $69K | +39% | 210 |
| Michigan | $66K | +32% | 320 |
| Vermont | $64K | +27% | 60 |
| Louisiana | $63K | +26% | 150 |
| Washington | $63K | +26% | 450 |
| Illinois | $62K | +24% | 470 |
| Hawaii | $61K | +21% | 90 |
| Maryland | $58K | +16% | 150 |
| North Dakota | $58K | +15% | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $56K | +11% | 520 |
| Nebraska | $55K | +10% | 370 |
| Utah | $54K | +8% | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $54K | +7% | 220 |
| California | $54K | +7% | 2,340 |
| Oregon | $53K | +6% | 110 |
| Oklahoma | $53K | +6% | 170 |
| New Mexico | $52K | +5% | 170 |
| Kansas | $52K | +3% | 190 |
| Delaware | $52K | +3% | 90 |
| Colorado | $50K | +1% | 280 |
| Texas | $50K | +0% | 590 |
| South Carolina | $50K | +0% | 90 |
| Iowa | $50K | -1% | 560 |
| Idaho | $49K | -3% | 280 |
| Indiana | $49K | -3% | 480 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -4% | 410 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -4% | 290 |
| Virginia | $47K | -5% | 380 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -7% | 270 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | -7% | 70 |
| Missouri | $46K | -7% | 450 |
| Arizona | $46K | -8% | 160 |
| Florida | $44K | -12% | 520 |
| Arkansas | $42K | -16% | 410 |
| Maine | $42K | -16% | 110 |
| New Jersey | $42K | -17% | 60 |
| Georgia | $41K | -17% | 1,390 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -20% | 190 |
| Alabama | $39K | -21% | 290 |
| Nevada | $39K | -21% | 50 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -27% | 150 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track agricultural inspectors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Joseph numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a agricultural inspector afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Joseph?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 35.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,077/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for agricultural inspectors in St. Joseph?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new agricultural inspectors typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,190/month. At HUD’s $1,077/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is agricultural inspector a high-paying job in St. Joseph?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $44K here vs. $50K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does St. Joseph compare to the national average for agricultural inspectors?
St. Joseph pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.38), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do agricultural inspectors make in St. Joseph, MO-KS?
The median is $43,880 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,500, and experienced agricultural inspectors can clear $43,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in St. Joseph?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,000/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,077/month, which eats 35.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a agricultural inspectors salary go in St. Joseph?
St. Joseph has a Regional Price Parity of 86.38 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median agricultural inspectors salary is worth about $50,799 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do agricultural inspectors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.