Rankings β†’ Will AI Replace…

Will AI Replace Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers?

68/100 β€” High Risk
SOC 51-9061

πŸ’‘ Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers have a composite risk score of 68/100 (Frey-Osborne probability: 98%, GenAI exposure: 63/100). With 591,180 workers in the US, this is one of the most AI-vulnerable occupations. Full occupation profile β†’

🎯 The Verdict

Likely for many tasks. The role will look very different in 5–10 years.

With 591,180 workers and a median wage of $47K,inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers represent a significant portion of the US workforce. Their GenAI exposure index is 63%, meaning a majority of their core tasks overlap with current generative AI capabilities.

Risk Score

68/100

Employment

591,180

Median Wage

$47K

GenAI Exposure

63%

⚠️ Top Risk Factors

1.

Automated data interpretation and insight generation

2.

Industrial robotics replacing manual assembly tasks

3.

Large language model automation of analysis tasks

4.

AI summarization replacing manual report compilation

πŸ›‘οΈ Tasks AI Can't Easily Replace

βœ“

Troubleshooting complex equipment malfunctions

βœ“

Quality judgment requiring tactile and visual inspection

βœ“

Setup and calibration of custom production runs

πŸ”„ Career Transition Paths

Related occupations with lower AI risk and high skills overlap:

Engineers

61% skills overlap Β· $106K median wage

20/100

First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

51% skills overlap Β· $62K median wage

25/100

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

70% skills overlap Β· $68K median wage

33/100

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Will AI completely replace inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers?

Likely for many tasks. The role will look very different in 5–10 years.

What is the AI risk score for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers?

Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers have a composite AI automation risk score of 68 out of 100, classified as "High Risk".

How many inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers are there in the US?

There are approximately 591,180 inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers employed in the United States.

What do inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers earn?

The median annual wage for inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers is $47K.

What skills should inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers develop?

Focus on tasks AI can't easily replicate: troubleshooting complex equipment malfunctions, quality judgment requiring tactile and visual inspection, setup and calibration of custom production runs. These human-centric skills will become more valuable as routine tasks are automated.