Transportation Inspectors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for transportation inspectorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Alaska$122,000
- Washington$114,460
- Iowa$113,620
- Oklahoma$113,280
- District of Columbia$106,370
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Michigan$65,260
- New Jersey$65,330
- New Mexico$69,420
- Illinois$69,780
- Nevada$70,360
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $122,000 | $123,120 | $59 | +37.8% | 170 |
| 2 | Washington | $114,460 | $104,250 | $55 | +29.3% | 490 |
| 3 | Iowa | $113,620 | $116,850 | $55 | +28.3% | 60 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | $113,280 | $111,070 | $54 | +27.9% | 470 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $106,370 | $89,960 | $51 | +20.1% | 150 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $104,440 | $108,270 | $50 | +18% | 150 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $104,020 | $106,330 | $50 | +17.5% | 60 |
| 8 | Maryland | $102,860 | $100,700 | $49 | +16.2% | 250 |
| 9 | Texas | $101,160 | $101,440 | $49 | +14.3% | 2,290 |
| 10 | Florida | $100,840 | $101,470 | $48 | +13.9% | 1,630 |
| 11 | Alabama | $100,700 | $108,140 | $48 | +13.7% | 670 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $97,150 | $81,550 | $47 | +9.7% | 340 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $96,300 | $91,520 | $46 | +8.8% | 330 |
| 14 | Georgia | $92,300 | $95,030 | $44 | +4.2% | 880 |
| 15 | New York | $91,220 | $93,420 | $44 | +3% | 3,720 |
| 16 | Oregon | $90,390 | $78,110 | $43 | +2.1% | 250 |
| 17 | Colorado | $90,010 | $81,820 | $43 | +1.7% | 460 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $89,890 | $92,860 | $43 | +1.5% | 310 |
| 19 | Ohio | $88,950 | $77,010 | $43 | +0.5% | 430 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $88,820 | $75,260 | $43 | +0.3% | 120 |
| 21 | California | $88,500 | $83,000 | $43 | +0% | 1,790 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $88,120 | $84,470 | $42 | -0.5% | 380 |
| 23 | Kansas | $87,200 | $103,380 | $42 | -1.5% | 210 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $85,350 | $83,970 | $41 | -3.6% | 260 |
| 25 | Idaho | $84,980 | $54,330 | $41 | -4% | 170 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $84,170 | $80,490 | $40 | -4.9% | 440 |
| 27 | Maine | $83,920 | $63,750 | $40 | -5.2% | 90 |
| 28 | Virginia | $83,420 | $68,610 | $40 | -5.8% | 330 |
| 29 | Indiana | $83,380 | $80,330 | $40 | -5.8% | 250 |
| 30 | Missouri | $81,340 | $64,690 | $39 | -8.1% | 380 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $81,140 | $77,460 | $39 | -8.4% | 130 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $80,870 | $85,130 | $39 | -8.7% | 120 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $78,420 | $78,430 | $38 | -11.4% | 420 |
| 34 | Utah | $78,150 | $64,480 | $38 | -11.7% | 210 |
| 35 | Massachusetts | $77,420 | $79,650 | $37 | -12.6% | — |
| 36 | South Dakota | $77,050 | $70,080 | $37 | -13% | 100 |
| 37 | Montana | $75,830 | $62,810 | $36 | -14.4% | 180 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $74,120 | $58,670 | $36 | -16.3% | 90 |
| 39 | Arizona | $73,380 | $62,250 | $35 | -17.1% | 830 |
| 40 | Nevada | $70,360 | $50,060 | $34 | -20.5% | 430 |
| 41 | Illinois | $69,780 | $47,990 | $34 | -21.2% | 1,130 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $69,420 | $63,690 | $33 | -21.6% | 230 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $65,330 | $49,250 | $31 | -26.2% | 930 |
| 44 | Michigan | $65,260 | $35,890 | $31 | -26.3% | 540 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 86 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $140,880 | $127,870 | 180 |
| 2 | Anchorage, AK | $131,060 | $128,300 | 110 |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $129,480 | $122,750 | 270 |
| 4 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $126,710 | $118,170 | 290 |
| 5 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $126,010 | $113,100 | 890 |
| 6 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $121,410 | $107,630 | 280 |
| 7 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $120,000 | $114,210 | 120 |
| 8 | Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area | $119,040 | $96,360 | 40 |
| 9 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $115,920 | $111,380 | 70 |
| 10 | Columbia, SC | $115,210 | $109,680 | 40 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing transportation inspectorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scheduled Air Transportation | $133,850 | $119,800 | 1,330 |
| 2 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $131,730 | $131,350 | 4,490 |
| 3 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $131,730 | $131,350 | 4,490 |
| 4 | Air Transportation | $129,240 | $115,770 | 1,530 |
| 5 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $107,940 | $100,190 | 1,790 |
| 6 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $107,640 | $98,480 | 1,870 |
| 7 | Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing | $105,500 | $96,730 | 2,030 |
| 8 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $93,420 | $100,900 | 11,220 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $93,420 | $100,870 | 11,230 |
| 10 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $93,420 | $88,150 | 3,700 |
| 11 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $93,420 | $88,130 | 3,710 |
| 12 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $93,420 | $100,900 | 11,220 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do transportation inspectors make in the U.S.?
The median transportation inspectors salary in the United States is $92,100 per year (mean $88,540), and about 80% earn between $40,330 and $138,670.
How much do transportation inspectors make per hour?
Roughly $43 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $88,540 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays transportation inspectors the most?
Alaska has the highest average pay for transportation inspectors at $122,000 per year (median $123,120).
What is the job outlook for transportation inspectors?
Employment is projected to change +1.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 2,500 openings per year.