Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Salary
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in Ames, IA make a median of $61,820 a year, or about $29.72 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $69,594 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,153/month, or 28.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $62K get you in Ames?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ames’s Regional Price Parity (88.83). 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 inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
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What this looks like in Ames
Ames sits well above the national pay line for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers, local pay runs about 27% higher than the U.S. median of $49K. Rent runs $1,153/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.83 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $51K | $55K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $51K | $57K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $51K | $59K |
| Cedar Rapids | $49K | $56K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ames, IA
Entry-level inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $78K | +61% | 300 |
| Washington | $64K | +33% | 12,010 |
| Maryland | $62K | +27% | 4,600 |
| Hawaii | $60K | +23% | 650 |
| District of Columbia | $60K | +23% | 70 |
| Colorado | $58K | +20% | 5,220 |
| Montana | $58K | +20% | 580 |
| Wyoming | $58K | +19% | 990 |
| Delaware | $57K | +18% | 1,020 |
| Minnesota | $57K | +18% | 9,710 |
| Connecticut | $57K | +18% | 7,460 |
| Rhode Island | $55K | +13% | 1,790 |
| New Hampshire | $55K | +13% | 3,050 |
| Missouri | $54K | +12% | 12,480 |
| California | $54K | +12% | 61,130 |
| Oregon | $54K | +11% | 5,690 |
| Kansas | $54K | +11% | 9,300 |
| Maine | $54K | +10% | 1,800 |
| Massachusetts | $52K | +8% | 10,650 |
| Arizona | $52K | +7% | 11,120 |
| Nebraska | $51K | +6% | 3,350 |
| North Dakota | $51K | +5% | 1,800 |
| Iowa | $51K | +4% | 7,230 |
| New York | $50K | +3% | 19,790 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | +2% | 7,430 |
| Wisconsin | $50K | +2% | 17,670 |
| Virginia | $50K | +2% | 9,830 |
| New Mexico | $50K | +2% | 1,550 |
| Louisiana | $49K | +2% | 8,110 |
| Nevada | $49K | +1% | 4,040 |
| New Jersey | $49K | +1% | 12,280 |
| Utah | $49K | +1% | 6,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -1% | 25,870 |
| Illinois | $48K | -1% | 31,700 |
| Indiana | $48K | -1% | 24,790 |
| Florida | $48K | -2% | 22,630 |
| Ohio | $47K | -2% | 32,060 |
| South Dakota | $47K | -3% | 1,090 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -3% | 2,720 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -3% | 13,360 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -4% | 19,700 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -5% | 12,880 |
| Vermont | $46K | -5% | 900 |
| Texas | $46K | -5% | 56,390 |
| Georgia | $46K | -5% | 19,980 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -6% | 17,140 |
| Idaho | $45K | -7% | 2,900 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -8% | 5,880 |
| Michigan | $44K | -8% | 27,980 |
| Mississippi | $41K | -16% | 6,970 |
| Alabama | $40K | -18% | 13,120 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weigher afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
Yes — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 28.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,153/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,646/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weigher a high-paying job in Ames?
Local pay is 27% above the national median — $62K here vs. $49K nationally.
How does Ames compare to the national average for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers?
Ames pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make in Ames, IA?
The median is $61,820 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,100, and experienced inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers can clear $79,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,051/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 28.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers salary go in Ames?
Ames has a Regional Price Parity of 88.83 (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 inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers salary is worth about $69,594 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers 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.