Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Salary
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC make a median of $43,140 a year, or about $20.74 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.49), which stretches that salary to about $48,751 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,095/month, about 36.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton’s Regional Price Parity (88.49). 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton
Pay for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $49K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,095/month, which is 37.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weigherss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in metros near Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $48K | $49K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $46K | $49K |
| Winston-Salem | $45K | $49K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $49K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Entry-level inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $23K 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 37.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,095/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 inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,121/month. At HUD’s $1,095/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $43K here vs. $49K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton compare to the national average for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers make in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?
The median is $43,140 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,350, and experienced inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers can clear $58,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,897/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,095/month, which eats 37.8% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton has a Regional Price Parity of 88.49 (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 $48,751 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.