Transportation Inspectors Salary
In Richmond, VA, transportation inspectors earn $68,610 at the median, or about $32.99 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $143K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.86), that's roughly $70,110 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,655/month, about 36.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $69K get you in Richmond?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Richmond’s Regional Price Parity (97.86). 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
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What this looks like in Richmond
Pay for transportation inspectors in Richmond runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $92K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,655/month, which is 37.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.86) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for transportation inspectorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for transportation inspectors in metros near Richmond, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $67K | $68K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $97K | $89K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $103K | $99K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $85K | $89K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Richmond, VA
Entry-level transportation inspectors (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $69K. Top earners bring in $143K or more, a $92K 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 Richmond numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a transportation inspector afford a 2BR apartment alone in Richmond?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $69K, rent takes 37.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,655/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for transportation inspectors in Richmond?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new transportation inspectors typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,093/month. At HUD’s $1,655/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 Richmond?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $69K here vs. $92K nationally.
How does Richmond compare to the national average for transportation inspectors?
Richmond pays $69K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — below the national median.
How much do transportation inspectors make in Richmond, VA?
The median is $68,610 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,550, and experienced transportation inspectors can clear $143,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $69K enough to live in Richmond?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,435/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,655/month, which eats 37.3% 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 transportation inspectors salary go in Richmond?
Richmond has a Regional Price Parity of 97.86 (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 $70,110 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.