Transportation Inspectors Salary
In Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, transportation inspectors earn $66,730 at the median, or about $32.08 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $68,134 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 39.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $67K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Pay for transportation inspectors in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $92K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,713/month, which is 39.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $69K | $70K |
| 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, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level transportation inspectors (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $42K 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
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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a transportation inspector afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 39.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new transportation inspectors typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,517/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $67K here vs. $92K nationally.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for transportation inspectors?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $92K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — below the national median.
How much do transportation inspectors make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $66,730 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,620, and experienced transportation inspectors can clear $100,690. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,334/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 39.5% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $68,134 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.