The median pay for Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation is $92,100 a year ($44.28/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 2.2% through 2035, with about 2,300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 53-6051
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation in four numbers
- Median pay
- $92,100a year, or $44.28/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $40KTop 10% $139K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.2%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,30025,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202525.1K
- Projected 203525.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 25.1K Projected 2035 25.6K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school13.1%
- High school57.8%
- Certificate12.6%
- Some college10.1%
- Associate's6.4%
Highest education held by transportation vehicle, equipment and systems inspectors, except aviation Segment Value Less than high school 13.1% High school 57.8% Certificate 12.6% Some college 10.1% Associate's 6.4%
Also advertised as: Car Inspector, Carman, Emissions Inspector, Inspector, Motor Carrier Inspector, Quality Assurance Inspector.
Pay
How much do Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation make?
Every transportation vehicle, equipment and systems inspector, except aviation in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$92,100
Middle half earn $58,780 to $108,890
- 10th
- $40,330
- 25th
- $58,780
- 75th
- $108,890
- 90th
- $138,670
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $40,330 |
| 25th | $58,780 |
| Median | $92,100 |
| 75th | $108,890 |
| 90th | $138,670 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $92,100
- Median hourly wage
- $44.28/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $88,540
- People employed
- 24,500
Versus all US occupations
At $92,100, Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation earn 81% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $41,120 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 47% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $138,670 or more while the bottom 10% earn $40,330, a gap of 3.4×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 67% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Alaska posts the highest raw median ($123,120), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $133,144 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Alaska | $123,120 | $120,283 | 170 |
| 2Iowa | $116,850 | $133,144 | 60 |
| 3Oklahoma | $111,070 | $126,441 | 470 |
| 4Hawaii | $108,270 | $98,471 | 150 |
| 5Alabama | $108,140 | $121,748 | 670 |
| 6North Dakota | $106,330 | $119,527 | 60 |
| 7Washington | $104,250 | $97,418 | 490 |
| 8Kansas | $103,380 | $114,780 | 210 |
| 9Florida | $101,470 | $98,120 | 1,630 |
| 10Texas | $101,440 | $104,516 | 2,290 |
Job outlook
Is Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +2.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation | +2.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation to change 2.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,300 openings are projected each year, 9.2% of the 25,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as transportation vehicle, equipment and systems inspectors, except aviation.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)57.8%
- Less than a High School Diploma13.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate12.6%
- Some College Courses10.1%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree6.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 57.8% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 13.1% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 12.6% |
| Some College Courses | 10.1% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 6.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation do?
Inspect and monitor transportation equipment, vehicles, or systems to ensure compliance with regulations and safety standards.
Day-to-day tasks
- Inspect vehicles or other equipment for evidence of abuse, damage, or mechanical malfunction.
- Inspect vehicles or equipment to ensure compliance with rules, standards, or regulations.
- Inspect repairs to transportation vehicles or equipment to ensure that repair work was performed properly.
- Issue notices and recommend corrective actions when infractions or problems are found.
- Investigate complaints regarding safety violations.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Monitoring2.9
- Active Learning2.8
- Writing2.6
- Science2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
| Writing | 2.6 |
| Science | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Quality Control Analysis3.5
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Operation and Control3.0
- Troubleshooting3.0
- Time Management2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
- Coordination2.8
- Equipment Maintenance2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.5 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 2.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.8 |
| Coordination | 2.8 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional5.1
- Investigative3.7
- Enterprising1.4
- Artistic1.0
- Social1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Construction and Extraction
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Production
Inspector, Tester, Sorter, Sampler, and Weigher
$48,570median a year
Most earn $36K to $78K
+2.5%High school - Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist
$61,770median a year
Most earn $45K to $89K
+3.6%High school
More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with transportation vehicle, equipment and systems inspectors, except aviation highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation$92,100
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation | $92,100 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation appears on
Questions
Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation: frequently asked questions
How much do Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation make?
Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation earn a median of $92,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 81% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $44.28/hr. The middle half earn between $58,780 and $108,890. The top 10% earn $138,670 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 57.8% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 2.2% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation do?
Inspect and monitor transportation equipment, vehicles, or systems to ensure compliance with regulations and safety standards. A core O*NET task: inspect vehicles or other equipment for evidence of abuse, damage, or mechanical malfunction. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation the most?
The highest state medians for Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation are Alaska ($123,120), Iowa ($116,850), Oklahoma ($111,070) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $133,144.
What personality type suits a Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation?
O*NET scores Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.