Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Production · SOC 51-9061
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-9061 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 3.2%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 47/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $48,570
- H-1B offered wage $40,000; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 54,400
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change 0.0%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 5
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 68,083 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~41.7% of this role but only ~3.2% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. May use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment.
Common titles: Inspector, QA Auditor (Quality Assurance Auditor), QA Inspector (Quality Assurance Inspector), QA Technician (Quality Assurance Technician), QC Technician (Quality Control Technician), Quality Auditor
Representative Tasks
- •Discard or reject products, materials, or equipment not meeting specifications.
- •Mark items with details, such as grade or acceptance-rejection status.
- •Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers.
- •Notify supervisors or other personnel of production problems.
- •Inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Evaluate quality of materials or products.
- •Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
- •Record operational or production data.
Tools & Technologies
Related Occupations
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 3.2% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $48,570 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 97/100 | N/A |