25 Best States For Agricultural Inspectors

If you are an agricultural inspector looking to find your perfect new home state, take a look at our list of the 25 best states for agricultural inspectors.

What does an agricultural inspector do? Generally, they are concerned with ensuring that agricultural entities are complying with the proper codes and standards. They employ their knowledge of safety and health regulations in order to inspect agricultural operations in a variety of sectors. Skills that make a great agricultural inspector include the ability and attention span necessary to maintain extensive knowledge of regulatory standards, a detail-oriented nature, and above average communication skills (including reading and writing).

Becoming an agricultural inspector requires some education and training. All positions will require at least a high school diploma or GED, and most require an associates degree in biology, agricultural science, environmental science, or animal science, etc. Some prospective employers will also prefer a bachelors degree. Regardless of formal education, all candidates must have an extraordinary working knowledge of FDA policies and regulations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of an agricultural inspector is about $44,260 per year ($21.28 hourly). Working conditions may vary, as some will work on-site for meat plants, in fisheries, at border facilities to check incoming and outgoing shipment quality, on farms, and some even in forests to check logging operations.

If you are interested in a similar but slightly different field, you can also check our list of 10 best states for agricultural engineers.

Deciding which states qualify as the “best” is not a simple task. Different factors matter more to different people. We decided to consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on the average mean wage and the number of employed agricultural inspectors in each state. We then sourced information on the cost of living index from Missouri Economic Research And Information Center. Considering all of these factors, we were able to sort our list.

It is not enough for a state to simply have a high average salary for its agricultural inspectors. It must also be considered that the number of working agricultural inspectors in the state may affect the number of job positions that are open to newcomers. On the other side of that argument, more employed agricultural inspectors points to the possibility of a more steady stream of work available. The cost of living index can also not be considered alone. It is great to have a low cost of living, but this only matters if your salary is also not super low. A low cost of living paired with a high salary is the most advantageous situation. States falling into this category made the top of our list of best states for agricultural inspectors. Also, please note that 13 states did not have enough information to include in our list. 

Without further ado, here is our list of 25 best states for agricultural inspectors.

25. Virginia

Cost of living index: 100.2

Annual mean wage: $43,350

Hourly mean wage: $20.84

Number of employees: 690

24. North Carolina

Cost of living index: 94.2

Annual mean wage: $40,760

Hourly mean wage: $19.59

Number of employees: 470

23. Georgia

Cost of living index: 91.4

Annual mean wage: $40,020

Hourly mean wage: $19.24

Number of employees: 660

22. Colorado

Cost of living index: 102.1

Annual mean wage: $45,650

Hourly mean wage: $21.94

Number of employees: 200

21. Kentucky

Cost of living index: 90.8

Annual mean wage: $41,010

Hourly mean wage: $19.71

Number of employees: 210

20. Oklahoma

Cost of living index: 88.6

Annual mean wage: $40,050

Hourly mean wage: $19.25

Number of employees: 370

19. Washington

Cost of living index: 107.1

Annual mean wage: $49,580

Hourly mean wage: $23.83

Number of employees: 310

18. Kansas

Cost of living index: 90.4

Annual mean wage: $41,880

Hourly mean wage: $20.13

Number of employees: 540

17. Wisconsin

Cost of living index: 96.9

Annual mean wage: $45,240

Hourly mean wage: $21.75

Number of employees: 330

16. Mississippi

Cost of living index: 86

Annual mean wage: $40,430

Hourly mean wage: $19.43

Number of employees: 250

15. Indiana

Cost of living index: 87.9

Annual mean wage: $41,620

Hourly mean wage: $20.00

Number of employees: 140

14. Ohio

Cost of living index: 93

Annual mean wage: $44,550

Hourly mean wage: $21.41

Number of employees: 390

13. Tennessee

Cost of living index: 89.8

Annual mean wage: $43,270

Hourly mean wage: $20.80

Number of employees: 290

12. Nebraska

Cost of living index: 91.3

Annual mean wage: $44,960

Hourly mean wage: $21.61

Number of employees: 310

We’re halfway through our list of best states for agricultural inspectors, and now, let’s see the other half.

11. Arkansas

Cost of living index: 88.5

Annual mean wage: $43,880

Hourly mean wage: $21.09

Number of employees: 360

10. New Jersey

Cost of living index: 121

Annual mean wage: $60,130

Hourly mean wage: $28.90

Number of employees: 140

9. Vermont

Cost of living index: 122.4

Annual mean wage: $61,180

Hourly mean wage: $29.41

Number of employees: 40

8. Missouri

Cost of living index: 90.8

Annual mean wage: $45,430

Hourly mean wage: $21.84

Number of employees: 260

7. Pennsylvania

Cost of living index: 102.8

Annual mean wage: $51,770

Hourly mean wage: $24.88

Number of employees: 360

6. Texas

Cost of living index: 90.7

Annual mean wage: $48,030

Hourly mean wage: $23.09

Number of employees: 570

5. Iowa

Cost of living index: 91.7

Annual mean wage: $49,050

Hourly mean wage: $23.58

Number of employees: 380

4. Louisiana

Cost of living index: 94.4

Annual mean wage: $50,640

Hourly mean wage: $24.34

Number of employees: 260

3. Illinois

Cost of living index: 95.5

Annual mean wage: $52,970

Hourly mean wage: $25.46

Number of employees: 390

2. Connecticut

Cost of living index: 130.7

Annual mean wage: $72,820

Hourly mean wage: $35.00

Number of employees: 40

1. Michigan

Cost of living index: 88.2

Annual mean wage: $58,760

Hourly mean wage: $28.25

Number of employees: 340

This was our list of 25 best states for agricultural inspectors. We hope we managed to show you some great options, and what you should expect from each state when deciding where to move.