jobfacts

Routine inspectors and testers

SOC 2020 8143

Routine inspectors and testers inspect and/or test metal stock, parts and products, electrical plant, machinery and electronic components, systems and sub-assemblies, textiles, wood, paper, food, plastics and rubber goods, parts and materials to detect processing, manufacturing and other defects.

Also calledQuality control officerQuality control technicianQuality assurance managerQuality inspectorExaminerPasserand 498 more titles
Typical full-time pay£34,4002025 Provisional
People in the job55,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month1,800↑ 12%on last year · 101st of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time routine inspectors and testers earn between £28,300 and £43,300 a year.

What full-time routine inspectors and testers earn, 2025
£34,400 typical£25,200lowest 10%£43,30075%£47,200top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£28,300–£43,300)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£25,200
Lowest 20% earn less than£26,800
25%£28,300
Median£34,400
75%£43,300
Top 20% earn more than£47,200
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £34,400
London!£47,900
South West!£38,100
West Midlands!£37,800
Scotland!£37,400
East of England!£37,000
North East!£35,200
South East!£34,900
Wales!£29,600
North West!£29,300
East Midlands!£28,900
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £34,400
London£47,900 (small sample)
South West£38,100 (small sample)
West Midlands£37,800 (small sample)
Scotland£37,400 (small sample)
East of England£37,000 (small sample)
North East£35,200 (small sample)
South East£34,900 (small sample)
Wales£29,600 (small sample)
North West£29,300 (small sample)
East Midlands£28,900 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £30,700
  • 2024 £32,200
  • 2025 Provisional£34,400
↑ 12% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,800 jobs for routine inspectors and testers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20262,160
Jul 20262,004
Jun 20261,992
May 20262,048
Apr 20261,777
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20261,612
Jan 20261,830
Dec 20251,134
Nov 20251,944
Oct 20251,944
Sept 20251,867
Aug 20251,682
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 20251,984
Apr 20251,591
Mar 20251,835
Feb 20251,879
Jan 20251,588
Dec 20241,007
Nov 20241,421
Oct 20241,677
Sept 20241,773
Aug 20241,688
Jul 20241,999
Jun 20241,795
May 20241,956
Apr 20242,002
Mar 20241,919
Feb 20241,810
Jan 20242,157
Dec 20231,642
Nov 20231,764
Oct 20231,640
Sept 20231,629
Aug 20231,882
Jul 20232,020
Jun 20232,849
May 20232,584
Apr 20232,111
Mar 20232,694
Feb 20232,675
Jan 20233,299
Dec 20222,733
Nov 20222,751
Oct 20223,168
Sept 20222,747
Aug 20222,982
Jul 20223,228
Jun 20222,952
May 20223,291
Apr 20222,648
Mar 20223,198
Feb 20223,112
Jan 20223,200
Dec 20212,775
Nov 20212,713
Oct 20212,875
Sept 20212,571
Aug 20212,622
Jul 20212,862
Jun 20212,738
May 20212,907
Apr 20212,595
Mar 20213,184
Feb 20211,977
Jan 20212,257
Dec 20201,624
Nov 20201,804
Oct 20202,073
Sept 20201,642
Aug 20201,491
Jul 20201,261
Jun 20201,360
May 20201,077
Apr 20201,483
Mar 20202,389
Feb 20202,926
Jan 20202,657
Dec 20192,004
Nov 20192,924
Oct 20192,940
Sept 20193,087
Aug 20192,895
Jul 20193,915
Jun 20193,989
May 20193,502
Apr 20192,357
Mar 20192,898
Feb 20192,690
Jan 20193,272
Dec 20181,995
Nov 20182,806
Oct 20182,924
Sept 20183,023
Aug 20182,768
Jul 20182,637
Jun 20182,670
May 20182,613
Apr 20182,352
Mar 20182,528
Feb 20182,408
Jan 20182,897
Dec 20172,006
Nov 20172,679
Oct 20172,851
Sept 20172,646
Aug 20172,588
Jul 20172,673
Jun 20173,074
May 20172,890
Apr 20172,578
Mar 20172,939
Feb 20172,424
Jan 20172,846
Is there a shortage of routine inspectors and testers?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
54%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for assemblers and routine operatives, which includes routine inspectors and testers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London621
Manchester121
Bristol, City of111
Birmingham97
Leeds85
Glasgow City72
West Northamptonshire68
Buckinghamshire65
Sheffield63
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole61
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where routine inspectors and testers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of routine inspectors and testers
n/p
21%!
24%!
19%!
25%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3421% (small sample)
35–4424% (small sample)
45–5419% (small sample)
55–6425% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent23%
Higher education below degree!13%
A levels or equivalent33%
GCSEs or equivalent!18%
Other qualifications!6.1%
No qualifications!7.2%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent23%
Higher education below degree13% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent33%
GCSEs or equivalent18% (small sample)
Other qualifications6.1% (small sample)
No qualifications7.2% (small sample)

Main employers: manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery (7.1%), technical testing and analysis (6.4%), manufacture of other parts and accessories for motor vehicles (3.4%), manufacture of non-domestic cooling and ventilation equipment (3.2%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
23%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 33%
Apprenticeships
4
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
1 to 2 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree.

Subjects that cover quality control include:

  • production management
  • business and management
  • manufacturing engineering

You may need a degree that is specific to the industry you want to work in, for example:

  • science
  • construction
  • engineering
  • pharmaceuticals
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could do a Quality Practitioner Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

This could take between 1 and 2 years to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start work as a quality control assistant and move into a quality officer role by training on the job, for example through the Chartered Quality Institute.

Apply directly

You could apply directly for jobs if you have a a experience in quality control.

You'll find job opportunities in any industry or sector that has quality control processes, such as engineering, manufacturing or health and safety .

Other routes

You could take quality control qualifications through the Chartered Quality Institute, or as part of a leadership course from the Chartered Management Institute.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You may find it helps when applying for jobs in quality control if you have some knowledge of British quality standards and methods.

You can move into management roles once you have gained experience as a quality control officer.

Further information

You can find out more about working in quality control through the Chartered Quality Institute.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for quality control officer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

4 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines articles for surface flaws such as cracks, dents, defective sealing or broken wires by visual inspection or using aids such as microscopes or magnifying glasses
  • checks sequence of assembly operations and checks assemblies and sub-assemblies against parts lists to detect missing items
  • sets up test equipment, connects items/system to power source/pressure outlet, etc. and operates controls to check performance and operation of electrical plant and machinery and electronics systems
  • examines yarn packages, textile fabrics and garments, wood or wood products, paper and paperboard, plastics and rubber materials, food products, food storage containers, etc., checks specifications, marks any repairable defects and rejects faulty items
  • reports any recurrent or major defects and recommends improvements to production methods

Skills

  • maintain test equipment
  • inspect quality of products
  • liaise with engineers
  • use testing equipment
  • write inspection reports
  • create solutions to problems
  • read standard blueprints
  • record test data
  • report defective manufacturing materials
  • conduct performance tests
  • keep records of work progress
  • monitor manufacturing quality standards
  • send faulty equipment back to assembly line
  • lead inspections

Knowledge

  • quality assurance procedures
  • quality standards
  • instrument performance elements
  • waste removal regulations

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for process, plant, machine and construction operatives, a group of 25 jobs that includes routine inspectors and testers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 19%about 142,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035496,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.