QA/QC Engineer / Inspector Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure QA/QC Engineer / Inspector as its own occupation, so this page uses Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112, broader occupation). The median annual wage in the United States was $102,440 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $83,600 to $129,250.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
Broader occupation
Industrial Engineers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
National pay range
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $74,370 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $83,600 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $102,440 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $129,250 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $159,860 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $109,900 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35.76 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $40.19 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $49.25 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $62.14 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $76.85 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $52.84 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages include: base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. What they leave out: overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers, United States. View this release at BLS.
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $102,440 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 2.01 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Pay in industries that hire this occupation
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 25,420 | 7.0% | $104,600 | $86,840 to $132,770 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 20,950 | 5.7% | $104,720 | $85,540 to $133,360 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423400 | 5,560 | 1.5% | $111,380 | $95,540 to $133,230 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | 5,400 | 1.5% | $98,920 | $79,760 to $119,880 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | 4,730 | 1.3% | $117,160 | $94,320 to $142,550 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 4,310 | 1.2% | $104,110 | $96,890 to $132,770 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | 2,170 | 0.6% | $99,540 | $64,520 to $137,030 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 1,060 | 0.3% | $104,140 | $79,210 to $161,180 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 740 | 0.2% | $93,240 | $74,140 to $114,740 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 720 | 0.2% | $102,960 | $82,600 to $128,400 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 610 | 0.2% | $123,670 | $99,770 to $138,830 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 360 | 0.1% | $97,610 | $74,280 to $117,420 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 290 | 0.1% | $83,290 | $73,840 to $109,840 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | 240 | 0.1% | $137,030 | $91,910 to $178,230 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 220 | 0.1% | $99,890 | $92,900 to $115,360 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 110 | 0.0% | $83,510 | $61,660 to $114,630 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 237130 | 80 | 0.0% | $68,900 | $59,840 to $105,520 |
These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.
Pay in target metros
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $117,600 | $98,410 to $154,170 | 2,000 | 0.27 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $105,640 | $93,020 to $132,830 | 10,680 | 1.12 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $109,020 | $89,980 to $137,270 | 5,810 | 1.04 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $102,300 | $84,280 to $128,320 | 4,800 | 0.71 |
| Columbus, OH | $100,570 | $83,180 to $118,370 | 3,710 | 1.43 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $101,760 | $82,260 to $126,580 | 12,750 | 1.2 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $136,950 | $114,280 to $171,880 | 4,800 | 1.8 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $129,890 | $102,220 to $165,780 | 5,230 | 1.84 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Highest and lowest paying metros
Ranked by published median annual wage among 351 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage, AK | $171,910 | 110 | 0.27 |
| 2 | Charleston, WV | $143,860 | 160 | 0.65 |
| 3 | Midland, TX | $141,120 | 320 | 1.11 |
| 4 | Lexington Park, MD | $139,600 | 160 | 0.98 |
| 5 | Billings, MT | $139,420 | 110 | 0.48 |
| 6 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $136,950 | 4,800 | 1.8 |
| 7 | Albuquerque, NM | $132,290 | 820 | 0.86 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $132,230 | 5,470 | 0.98 |
| 9 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $131,870 | 650 | 1.62 |
| 10 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $131,740 | 120 | 0.53 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 342 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $80,250 | 200 | 1.14 |
| 343 | Grand Island, NE | $80,200 | 60 | 0.61 |
| 344 | Montgomery, AL | $79,480 | 540 | 1.39 |
| 345 | St. George, UT | $79,020 | 80 | 0.35 |
| 346 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $73,070 | 200 | 0.53 |
| 347 | Gadsden, AL | $72,880 | 50 | 0.68 |
| 348 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $72,430 | 50 | 0.44 |
| 349 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $65,730 | 260 | 0.81 |
| 350 | Mayaguez, PR | $63,280 | 60 | 0.46 |
| 351 | Hinesville, GA | $47,730 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Where pay is highest relative to local wages
This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arecibo, PR | $82,930 | $26,120 | 3.17 times | 100 | 1.17 |
| Aguadilla, PR | $84,030 | $26,480 | 3.17 times | 280 | 2.42 |
| Charleston, WV | $143,860 | $45,830 | 3.14 times | 160 | 0.65 |
| Ponce, PR | $83,040 | $26,940 | 3.08 times | 290 | 1.94 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $126,090 | $43,710 | 2.88 times | 60 | 0.25 |
| Anchorage, AK | $171,910 | $60,200 | 2.86 times | 110 | 0.27 |
| Billings, MT | $139,420 | $49,060 | 2.84 times | 110 | 0.48 |
| Lake Charles, LA | $129,260 | $45,700 | 2.83 times | 180 | 0.74 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $128,690 | $45,610 | 2.82 times | 60 | 0.3 |
| Lafayette, LA | $117,120 | $41,780 | 2.80 times | 70 | 0.16 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $81,080 | $29,440 | 2.75 times | 1,920 | 1.18 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $132,290 | $48,060 | 2.75 times | 820 | 0.86 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $122,470 | $45,350 | 2.70 times | 350 | 0.77 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $127,340 | $47,290 | 2.69 times | 460 | 0.44 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | $101,300 | $37,750 | 2.68 times | 110 | 0.72 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $129,500 | $48,710 | 2.66 times | 470 | 0.49 |
| Midland, TX | $141,120 | $54,480 | 2.59 times | 320 | 1.11 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $99,650 | $38,520 | 2.59 times | 90 | 0.44 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $107,740 | $41,940 | 2.57 times | 60 | 0.51 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $91,680 | $35,830 | 2.56 times | 130 | 0.19 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $96,870 | $37,930 | 2.55 times | 70 | 0.2 |
| Monroe, LA | $97,070 | $38,150 | 2.54 times | 40 | 0.19 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $123,660 | $48,630 | 2.54 times | 710 | 1.85 |
| Mayaguez, PR | $63,280 | $25,270 | 2.50 times | 60 | 0.46 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $98,550 | $39,740 | 2.48 times | 140 | 1.09 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 17-2112 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $101,140 |
| May 2025 | $102,440 |
| Difference | +$1,300 (+1.3%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call pay | Included | BLS lists "on-call pay" and "hazardous-duty pay" as wages. |
| Overtime pay matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters here | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation matters here | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Questions
What is the median pay for QA/QC Engineer / Inspector?
The BLS median annual wage for Industrial Engineers nationally is $102,440 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most QA/QC Engineer / Inspector earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $83,600 to $129,250, and 10% earned less than $74,370.
Is this the exact job title?
Industrial Engineers is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
How many people are employed in this occupation?
BLS estimates 365,740 jobs nationally in Industrial Engineers across all industries.
What do BLS wages leave out?
They leave out overtime, shift differentials, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation. Base pay, guaranteed pay, on-call pay and production-based incentive pay are included.
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for QA/QC Engineer / Inspector: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring QA/QC Engineer / Inspector?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
What the published rows say about QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States
QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States is represented here by Industrial Engineers, SOC 17-2112, in the May 2025 OEWS release. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, data Center Headhunters uses the broader crosswalk for this title; the occupation row, rather than a separate survey of QA/QC Engineer / Inspector, supplies the figures on this page. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, the published annual median is $102,440 and the middle-half endpoints are $83,600 and $129,250.
The QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States middle-half band spans $45,650 on the annual basis. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, its lower quarter-to-median distance is $18,840, compared with $26,810 from the median to the upper quarter. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, the upper interval is at least as wide as the other interval in this row. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, for an offer against this QA/QC Engineer / Inspector crosswalk, these are published reference points, not experience grades; the width does not establish a reason for differences between individual workers.
QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States can also be compared with Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, where the annual median for Industrial Engineers is $104,110 in May 2025. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, the QA/QC Engineer / Inspector crosswalk comparison differs by $1,670 from the the United States median.
QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States can also be compared with Minneapolis-St. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, where the annual median for Industrial Engineers is $104,730 in May 2025. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, the QA/QC Engineer / Inspector crosswalk comparison differs by $2,290 from the the United States median.
QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States has no local industry-by-occupation wage breakdown in the loaded OEWS rows. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, the highest published national industry medians loaded for SOC 17-2112 are Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services at $187,440 and Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services at $187,440. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, these May 2025 observations describe the national Industrial Engineers occupation in those industries, not the pay of data center employers in the United States; they cannot support a local industry ranking.
The QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States matched median changed from $101,140 in May 2024 to $102,440 in May 2025, a difference of $1,300 up. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, both observations use SOC 17-2112, area code 99 and the same annual wage basis. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, this QA/QC Engineer / Inspector comparison reports the released values without adjusting for inflation, annualizing the change or attributing it to a particular employer.
QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States uses the OEWS straight-time wage definition, not a complete cost-to-employ budget. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, for an offer mapped to Industrial Engineers, separate overtime, shift differentials and expense reimbursements from the annual figures for the United States; BLS excludes those categories. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, on-call pay, guaranteed pay and production incentives are included under the wage definition. For QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States, no QA/QC Engineer / Inspector-specific per diem, travel allowance or relocation amount is observed in this row, so this May 2025 page adds no dollar allowance on top.
Questions about QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States?
QA/QC Engineer / Inspector is mapped to SOC 17-2112, Industrial Engineers; the May 2025 the United States annual median is $102,440. The mapping is broader, not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the the United States figure show all offer costs for QA/QC Engineer / Inspector?
QA/QC Engineer / Inspector pay in the United States uses straight-time OEWS wages. Overtime and shift differentials are excluded; on-call and guaranteed pay are included. No allowance for travel or relocation is added to this 17-2112 observation.
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- methodology
Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.