Transportation Inspectors Salary
In Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, transportation inspectors earn $81,370 at the median, or about $39.12 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $152K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.44), so that salary is closer to $76,447 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,201/month, about 43.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $81K get you in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario’s Regional Price Parity (106.44). 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Pay for transportation inspectors in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $92K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,201/month, which is 42.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.44), so groceries and services cost more too. 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $101K | $89K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $81K | $76K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $83K | $74K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $104K | $90K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Entry-level transportation inspectors (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $152K or more, a $101K 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a transportation inspector afford a 2BR apartment alone in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 42.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,201/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for transportation inspectors in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new transportation inspectors typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,002/month. At HUD’s $2,201/month FMR, rent would take 73% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $81K here vs. $92K nationally.
How does Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario compare to the national average for transportation inspectors?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — below the national median.
How much do transportation inspectors make in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?
The median is $81,370 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,040, and experienced transportation inspectors can clear $151,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,160/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,201/month, which eats 42.7% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario has a Regional Price Parity of 106.44 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median transportation inspectors salary is worth about $76,447 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.