Agricultural Inspector
Inspections of the setup, procedures, and conditions at food-producing plants are done by agricultural inspectors.
Agriculture inspectors make ensuring that food produced on farms complies with FDA laws and is suitable for human consumption, similar to health inspectors who perform inspections at restaurants.
An agricultural inspector is what?
Common duties for those in agricultural inspector roles include the following:
- Conduct inspections at farms, food processing facilities, and other places where food is produced.
- Make sure that all tools, conditions, procedures, and settings adhere to FDA requirements.
- Examine tools, settings, and procedures to spot any dangers to consuming safely.
- Affirm the cleanliness of the production areas and the adherence to regulations at farms and other food production facilities by assigning grades.
- Recommend the temporary or permanent closure of any facilities that engage in actions that pose a risk to the health of people who eat the products they produce.
What a Day Is Like
You’re probably familiar with the work of health inspectors if you’ve ever worked in a restaurant or noted the grade given to an eatery you visited.
To make sure a restaurant is safe for patrons to eat at, health inspectors look into the food processing and storage practices there.
You might be surprised to learn that farms and other places where food is produced undergo quite comparable health inspections.
Agriculture inspectors are in charge of checking that the tools, procedures, and food handling at significant food production plants adhere to FDA regulations.
The agricultural inspectors who study large food production plants give them the same rating as they do restaurants.
Agricultural inspectors investigate a range of circumstances at farms and food processing facilities to make sure that everything is in working order, that food is stored appropriately, and that no process exposes customers to a danger of foodborne illness. They make certain that the food you buy at the supermarket is wholesome.
Agricultural inspectors are required to create thorough records of any concerns they find. This can entail taking pictures or making thorough notes.
If there are problems, the food producer may receive a poor grade or, in dire cases, may have to temporarily close down their facilities until the problem is fixed.
The agricultural inspector may also argue for the facility’s permanent closure in extreme or repeated incidents to stop widespread foodborne illness brought on by repeat offenders.
Regular Work Hours
Typically full-time positions, agricultural inspector duties are performed during regular business hours. However, depending on the region they are responsible for, agricultural inspectors may occasionally need to travel for work to perform examinations at farms and production facilities that are distant from their homes.
Common Employers
Although a small number of employees may be available in other businesses, agricultural inspectors often work for the federal, state, and municipal governments.
They are frequently employed to work for similar state and local health inspection authorities, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Agricultural Inspection Training
Even though a high school diploma is sufficient to become an agricultural inspector, many firms favor hiring applicants with bachelor’s degrees.
You must pursue entry-level jobs in the industry and advance to an agricultural inspector position if you want to get the job with just a high school diploma.
You may be exposed to the role’s needs in entry-level administrative roles at regional and state health organizations, and with time, you might be able to obtain a promotion to an agricultural inspector post.
Although many firms prefer to hire agricultural inspectors with bachelor’s degrees, particularly at the state and federal government levels. Agricultural science, biology, animal science, and public health are popular degrees for agricultural inspectors.
Students are exposed to subjects in these degrees that are crucial to the field, including proper food handling, adequate animal care, and federal and state rules and regulations about food handling and production.
You should be able to obtain internships or jobs as an agricultural inspector in the field if you have a degree.
To develop the skills you’ll need to conduct investigations on your own when your training is through, you may spend time early in your career helping seasoned agricultural inspectors with their duties. Most employers also give on-the-job training for new inspectors.
Agriculture Inspector Pay Information
The information below will help you learn more about this profession. The editorial material and recommendations on this page are based on our research, while the income and growth information is based on newly released Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Low Range for National Annual Salaries
$32,190 on average and $43,810 at the high end.
Nationwide minimum wage
Low Range $15 Per Hour Average $21 Per Hour High Range $30 Per Hour
How do the pay rates for Agricultural Inspectors compare to those in other national jobs?
According to the most recent statistics on employment across the country, agricultural inspectors can earn an average yearly pay of $43,810, or $21 per hour.
It is therefore a Salary Above Average. Depending on the state you live in or possibly when just starting, they can make as little as $32,190, or $15 per hour.