Transportation Inspectors Salary
In Columbus, OH, transportation inspectors earn $87,550 at the median, or about $42.09 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $147K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $91,704 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,430/month, or 25.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $88K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). 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 transportation inspectors
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Columbus
Transportation inspectors pay in Columbus tracks closely to the national median, $88K locally vs. $92K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,430/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for transportation inspectors in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $120K | $126K |
| Cleveland | $64K | $68K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $89K | $96K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $49K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level transportation inspectors (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $88K. Top earners bring in $147K or more, a $87K spread from bottom to top.
Transportation Inspectors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Transportation Inspectors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $123K | +34% | 170 |
| Iowa | $117K | +27% | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $111K | +21% | 470 |
| Hawaii | $108K | +18% | 150 |
| Alabama | $108K | +17% | 670 |
| North Dakota | $106K | +15% | 60 |
| Washington | $104K | +13% | 490 |
| Kansas | $103K | +12% | 210 |
| Florida | $101K | +10% | 1,630 |
| Texas | $101K | +10% | 2,290 |
| Maryland | $101K | +9% | 250 |
| Georgia | $95K | +3% | 880 |
| New York | $93K | +1% | 3,720 |
| Minnesota | $93K | +1% | 310 |
| Connecticut | $92K | -1% | 330 |
| District of Columbia | $90K | -2% | 150 |
| Arkansas | $85K | -8% | 120 |
| North Carolina | $84K | -8% | 380 |
| Kentucky | $84K | -9% | 260 |
| California | $83K | -10% | 1,790 |
| Colorado | $82K | -11% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $82K | -11% | 340 |
| South Carolina | $80K | -13% | 440 |
| Indiana | $80K | -13% | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | -14% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $78K | -15% | 420 |
| Oregon | $78K | -15% | 250 |
| Louisiana | $77K | -16% | 130 |
| Ohio | $77K | -16% | 430 |
| Wisconsin | $75K | -18% | 120 |
| South Dakota | $70K | -24% | 100 |
| Virginia | $69K | -26% | 330 |
| Missouri | $65K | -30% | 380 |
| Utah | $64K | -30% | 210 |
| Maine | $64K | -31% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $64K | -31% | 230 |
| Montana | $63K | -32% | 180 |
| Arizona | $62K | -32% | 830 |
| West Virginia | $59K | -36% | 90 |
| Idaho | $54K | -41% | 170 |
| Nevada | $50K | -46% | 430 |
| New Jersey | $49K | -47% | 930 |
| Illinois | $48K | -48% | 1,130 |
| Michigan | $36K | -61% | 540 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track transportation inspectors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbus numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a transportation inspector afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
Yes — at the median salary of $88K, rent takes 25.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for transportation inspectors in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new transportation inspectors typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,609/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 40% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is transportation inspector a high-paying job in Columbus?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $88K locally vs. $92K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for transportation inspectors?
Columbus pays $88K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $92K — below the national median.
How much do transportation inspectors make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $87,550 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,150, and experienced transportation inspectors can clear $147,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $88K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,688/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 25.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a transportation inspectors salary go in Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (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 transportation inspectors salary is worth about $91,704 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do transportation 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.