Special Offer 

Jumpstart your hiring with a $75 credit to sponsor your first job.*

Sponsored Jobs posted directly on Indeed with Urgently Hiring make a hire 5 days faster than non-sponsored jobs.**
  • Visibility for hard-to-fill roles through branding and urgently hiring
  • Instantly source candidates through matching to expedite your hiring
  • Access skilled candidates to cut down on mismatched hires

Quality Control Inspector Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
5 min read

A Quality Control Inspector, or Quality Assurance Inspector, ensures products and materials meet a set of quality standards. Their duties include examining shipments of inventory and raw goods, measuring the specifications of random items in each production run and training team members to refine production quality.

Quality Control Inspector duties and responsibilities

Individual wearing a hardhat and safety goggles, and holding a clipboard. Text reads: "Sample quality control inspector duties:Inspect output samples,Train teams on quality control measures,Monitor use of equipment,Propose improvements to production process"

A Quality Control Inspector checks products or materials for defects, records inspection results and helps ensure the supply chain runs smoothly by identifying issues early in the process. Duties and responsibilities you could include in your Quality Control Inspector job description are:

  • Inspecting output samples using industry-appropriate methods, such as comparing to standards, measuring dimensions and examining functionality
  • Checking that the assembly or production line adheres to standards and procedures and complies with regulations
  • Reviewing blueprints and specifications to compare to produced goods
  • Determining the causes of product defects and offering advice on how best to correct the issues
  • Recording inspection results by completing reports, summarizing re-works and wastes and inputting data into quality database
  • Training the production team on quality control measures to improve product excellence and proposing improvements to the production process
  • Updating job knowledge by engaging in educational opportunities and regular training
  • Keeping measurement equipment operating accurately by following calibration requirements and calling for repairs

Hire your next Quality Control Inspector today.

Build a job description

Hire your next Quality Control Inspector today.

Build a job description
Close

Quality Control Inspector Job Description Examples

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
Job Description Best Practices
Optimize your new and existing job descriptions to reach more candidates
Get the Guide

What does a Quality Control Inspector do?

Quality Control Inspectors help manufacturing facilities maintain quality standards, lowering the likelihood of product defects. Their work has a positive impact on customer satisfaction rates. It also assists with regulatory compliance efforts in regulated industries by ensuring finished products meet safety regulations.

By offering advice and recommendations, Quality Control Inspectors contribute to the ongoing improvements of manufacturing systems. As a result, hiring a Quality Control Inspector may lead to increases in efficiency and productivity and decreases in overall manufacturing costs and raw material waste rates.

Quality Control Inspector skills and qualifications

Quality Control Inspectors use a variety of skills and industry knowledge to ensure products are up to standards. Key qualifications for the role typically include:

  • Knowledge of quality standards, best practices for quality assurance and product safety regulations for the employer’s specific industry
  • Spatial reasoning skills to interpret blueprints and schematics
  • Observational skills to identify defects in product characteristics, such as shape, size, color and surface texture
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills to understand test results and diagnose product defects
  • Ability to use measuring devices like gauges, meters, calipers, torque wrenches, hardness testers, tensile testers, surface roughness testers, scopes, digital inspection systems and other tools and equipment
  • Communication skills to create concise reports and provide feedback and instruction to the manufacturing team
  • Technical skills to utilize statistical process control (SPC), coordinate measuring machine (CMM), quality management system (QMS), inspection, calibration management, blueprint, document management, word processing, email and other software
  • Ability to remain upright and mobile throughout a shift, move heavy objects and access difficult-to-reach spaces

Quality Control Inspector experience requirements

Experience requirements for Quality Control Inspectors vary. In aerospace and automobile manufacturing, inspectors often begin their careers as apprentices. During the apprenticeship program, they work under the close supervision of an experienced inspector and receive classroom training.

Employers in other industries may prioritize candidates with work history in a related position, such as Manufacturing Technician, Maintenance Technician or Fabricator. When a position involves independent work with low supervision or inspecting highly complex products, previous experience as a Quality Control Inspector may be preferred.

Quality Control Inspector education and training requirements

In industries without formal apprenticeship programs, there are typically no strict education requirements for Quality Control Inspectors. This makes the role well-suited for skills-first hiring, which is a hiring strategy that prioritizes hands-on abilities such as attention to detail, familiarity with inspection tools and a working knowledge of quality standards over formal credentials.

Most new hires learn through on-the-job training during the onboarding process, gaining experience with company-specific procedures, compliance expectations and safety protocols.

Voluntary certifications can indicate that candidates understand industry regulations and standards, are familiar with best practices and are dedicated to improving quality. These credentials are available through the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the SixSigma program.

Quality Control Inspector salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Quality Control Inspector is $77,247 per year. Factors that affect how much an inspector earns include experience, training, skills, education and location.

Quality Control Inspector salary expectations

2025-10-017.6522.2244.20HOURLY
  • Common salary: 22.22 HOURLY
  • Typical salaries range from 7.65 - 44.20 HOURLY
  • Find more information on Indeed Salaries

*Indeed data – 2025-10-01

Job description samples for similar positions

If you’re hiring for positions related to the Quality Control Inspector, check out these job descriptions:

Quality Control Inspector job description FAQs

What is the difference between a Quality Control Inspector and a Product Tester?

Quality Control Inspectors and Product Testers typically work at different points in the supply chain and have different duties. Inspectors make sure that products meet company standards before they are sent out or placed on the shelves. They work in the production and distribution phase of a business.

Product Testers focus on products during the development stage of a business. They test prototypes of products and give feedback on how to improve them.

What are the characteristics of a good Quality Control Inspector?

One of the most important attributes of a good Quality Control Inspector is their attention to detail, which allows them to conduct thorough inspections. Individuals who feel confident and comfortable providing feedback to others may succeed in the role. In addition, those who like solving puzzles and finding solutions to problems may enjoy the work of a Quality Control Inspector.

What is the difference between a Quality Control Inspector and a Quality Manager?

Quality Control Inspectors and Quality Managers are both responsible for maintaining production quality levels, but they have different focuses. Inspectors perform hands-on work to identify defects, while Quality Managers develop and implement strategies, policies and procedures for quality assurance. Managers may revise these frameworks based on feedback provided by Quality Control Inspectors.

Quality Managers also have supervisory responsibilities. At some organizations, a Quality Control Inspector will report directly to the Quality Manager.

Job Description Best Practices
Optimize your new and existing job descriptions to reach more candidates
Get the Guide

Three individuals are sitting at a table with a laptop, a disposable coffee cup, notebooks, and a phone visible. Two are facing each other, while the third’s back is to the camera. The setting appears to be a bright room with large windows.

Hire your next Quality Control Inspector today.

Build a job description

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

No search results found