Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Salary
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA make a median of $50,850 a year, or about $24.45 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $55,453 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 39.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines tracks closely to the national median, $51K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 39.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $51K | $57K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $51K | $59K |
| Cedar Rapids | $49K | $56K |
| Sioux City | $55K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $71K 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 39.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,158/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $51K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $50,850 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,960, and experienced inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers can clear $71,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,369/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 39.1% 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 inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers salary go in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 $55,453 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.