Routine inspectors and testers

£31,286

Average salary

Average annual salary UK 2020 | Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

43 hours

Average weekly hours

Average weekly hours UK 2019 | Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

4.43%

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate UK 2020 | Labour Force Survey

Definition: Routine inspectors and testers

*SOC Code (Standard Occupational Classification): 8133

Jobholders in this unit group 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.

Common tasks include:

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.

Qualifications

There are no formal academic entry requirements, although some employers require candidates to possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by training courses where instruction in specific techniques is required. Various NVQs/SVQs encompass aspects of quality control.

*Introduced in 1990, SOC is a multi-purpose common classification of occupations in UK. Jobs are defined in terms of skill level and skill content, including qualifications, training and work experience.

Employment status: Routine inspectors and testers

Regional employment: Routine inspectors and testers

Future employment: Routine inspectors and testers

Top 12 industries: Routine inspectors and testers

Alternative & related job titles: Routine inspectors and testers

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(match mfr) Picker, nut Inspector (rubber goods mfr) Tester, glass Inspector, roller (metal trades) Tester (abrasive wheel mfr) Inspector (stone dressing) Tester, non-destructive Viewer (metal trades) Inspector, stock, rolling Gauger (metal trades) Passer (clothing mfr) Inspector (paper mfr) Checker (electrical, electronic engineering) Sorter (paper goods mfr) Examiner (printing) Examiner, printer's Ransacker (fishing net mfr) Measurer, steel Attendant, room, sample (food products mfr) Examiner, bag Inspector (footwear mfr) Examiner (match mfr) Inspector, engine Tester, systems Examiner, bank-note Inspector (furniture mfr) Assistant, inspector's (metal trades) Tester, tank Examiner, vehicle Examiner, wire Inspector (metal trades) Passer, finished (textile mfr) Inspector, shop, fitting Tester, hollow-ware Inspector, aircraft Sorter, card, playing Tester, roller Tester, dynamo Inspector, quality Prover, meter Viewer (food products mfr) Tester, cable Sorter, label Checker (bakery) Sorter (paper mfr) Patrol (motor vehicle mfr) Inspector, PCB Tester (rubber goods mfr) Inspector, rope Tester, wire Controller, quality Inspector, instrument Examiner, cigar Examiner (paper mfr) Inspector, tube Checker, moulding Examiner, bus Inspector, cylinder Overlooker (hat mfr) Inspector, micrometer Examiner, plan (Ordnance Survey) Inspector (ceramics mfr) Examiner, mechanical Inspector, textile Inspector, motor Examiner, burr (dental instrument mfr) Balancer, dynamic Balancer (engineering) Inspector (glass mfr) Inspector, lift Tester, coke (coal gas, coke ovens) Measurer (rolling mill) Examiner (railways) Inspector, lens Inspector, bar (rolling mill) Examiner (ceramics mfr) Examiner, bulb (lamp mfr) Inspector, vehicle Looker-out (pen nib mfr) Tester, pipe (metal mfr) Examiner, shoe Examiner, cloth, leather Viewer (electrical goods mfr) Foreman, checking (engineering) Tester, record Inspector, floor (engineering) Tester, machine Tester (safety fuse mfr) Engineer, test Viewer (chocolate mfr) Tester (record mfr) Examiner, brush Tester (ceramics mfr) Tester, motor Tester, valve Sorter, glove Straightener, yarn Inspector, rubber Inspector, garment Checker Examiner, shell Inflator, bed, air Inspector, records, musical Overlooker, cloth Viewer, component (metal trades) Checker (ceramics mfr) Counter, paper Examiner (pencil, crayon mfr) Picker, stilt Inspector, component (metal trades) Worker, salle Assistant, checker's (metal trades) Inspector, line (vehicle mfr) Overlooker (clothing mfr) Examiner (rubber goods mfr) Prover (tube mfr) Tester, bobbin Inspector, electrical Passer, cigar Examiner (mica, micanite goods mfr) Viewer, cloth Inspector, rail Inspector, timber Examiner, pen Inspector, glass Inspector, plant, electrical Hand, clock (ball bearing mfr) Viewer (plastics goods mfr) Balancer, dynamics Finisher, paint Tester, cloth (textile merchants) Inspector, process Sorter, paper (paper goods mfr) Examiner, book (printing) Examiner, cycle Operator, gauger Checker (textile materials, products mfr) Examiner (toy mfr) Examiner (railway maintenance and repair) Assorter Inspector, yarn Operator, assurance, quality Brineller Examiner, thread Tester, disc, compact Examiner, chain Inspector (fancy goods mfr) Checker, machine (engineering) Examiner (electrical goods mfr) Checker (drug mfr) Tester, brake Checker (food products mfr) Inspector (textile mfr) Viewer (film, television production) Checker (paint mfr) Adjuster, dial (telephone mfr) Inspector, mechanical Checker, bank-note Prover, file Filler-in (furniture mfr) Man, cloth (clothing mfr) Operator, detector (engineering) Inspector, electronics (components mfr) Examiner, wheel Examiner, roller (printing) Inspector, furnace (furnace mfr) Inspector (electrical goods mfr) Examiner, tool, edge Inspector (broom, brush mfr) Inspector, wagon Sorter, paper (paper mfr) Inspector, flight Inspector, metal Passer (footwear mfr) Inspector, locomotive (railways) Finder, fault Inspector, enamel Inspector, insulation Inspector (cartridge mfr) Tester, lamp, arc Inspector, cabinet Viewer, garment Tester, pole Inspector, hosiery Overlooker (lace examining) Examiner, glass (glass mfr) Inspector, government Tester, pipe, concrete Engineer, inspection Catcher, cigarette Drawer, cloth Engineer-examiner Picker (paper mfr) Viewer, bearings, ball Inspector (plastics goods mfr) Inspector, battery Inflator, cushion, air Inspector, chief (engineering) Tester, denier Inspector, welding Inspector, leaf Inspector, control, quality Examiner (laundry, launderette, dry cleaning) Machinist, testing (metal trades) Inspector (cardboard mfr) Tester, slow, bobbin Tester (plastics goods mfr) Examiner (footwear mfr) Operator, photometer Straightener (textile mfr) Looker-over (ceramics mfr) Sorter, paper (wallpaper mfr) Tester, quality Inspector, machine (coal mine: Inspector (carbon goods mfr) Operator, quality Inspector, bank-note Inspector, diesel (railways) Balancer, shaft, crank Tester, tube, ray, cathode 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mould (glass mfr) Tester, ndt Detector, crack (metal mfr) Viewer (hat mfr) Inspector, graphite Looker-over, decorator's Tester, coil Searcher (manufacturing: woollen mfr) Engineer, inspector Sorter (printing) Inspector, tool Tester, road (vehicle mfr) Inspector, radio Viewer, ammunition Inspector (carpet, rug mfr) Inspector of armaments (government) Tester, carburettor Engineer, maintenance, tyre Tester, shift (chemical mfr) Inspector, plant, process Inspector (canvas goods mfr) Prover, die Adjuster Tester, conditioning, air Picker, thimble Examiner, film Inspector, AID (Board of Trade) Passer (cardboard box mfr) Foreman, salle Percher (textile mfr) Inspector (asbestos goods mfr) Tester, cylinder Checker (Bank of England) Tester (glass mfr) Inspector, cloth Checker, mica Inspector and packer Inspector (mica, micanite goods mfr) Worker, inspection Tester, electrical Tester, spring Inspector, core Picker-out (galvanised sheet mfr) Examiner (asbestos composition goods mfr) Inspector, room, tool Inspector (paper goods mfr) Tester, cell (dry battery mfr) Tester, music Inspector, apparatus, photographic Inspector, carriage (railways) Tester, cask Inspector (abrasive paper, cloth mfr) Examiner, cloth Examiner, machine, cigarette Inspector, nylon Tester, engine Inspector, engineering Examiner (MOD) Examiner, engineering Sorter, sheet (printing) Tester, rope Looker, cloth Tester, furnace (furnace mfr) Tester, yarn Inspector, bench Inspector (instrument mfr) Sorter (glass mfr) Prover, stove (gas supplier) Examiner, steel (steelworks) Inspector (man-made fibre mfr) Examiner, piece Balancer, wheel (railway workshops) Viewer (clothing mfr) Tester, instrument Assessor, quality Checker (wood products mfr) Examiner, stencil Examiner, final (clothing mfr) Operator, ultrasonic Tester (electrical, electronic equipment mfr) Inspector, aeronautical Assistant, control, quality Checker, nos Inspector, components (metal trades) Liner and finisher (vehicle mfr) Viewer, plastics Checker (clothing mfr) Sampler Inspector, area Foreman, quality (engineering) Inspector, plate (steelworks) Passer (glove mfr) Inspector, crisp, potato Viewer (wood products mfr) Viewer, patrol (metal trades) Coordinator, quality Examiner, spring Inspector, ring (engineering) Examiner (textile mfr) Examiner (food products mfr) Inspector, carpet Tester, vehicle Certifier, order, money Tester, cement Viewer (cartridge mfr) Examiner, file Prover, gun Finisher, cellulose Tester, matrix (type foundry) Checker (brewery) Verifier (rubber tyre mfr) Patrolman (motor vehicle mfr) Passer (canned foods mfr) Examiner, label Inspector, works (vehicle mfr) Checker (plastics goods mfr)

Equality focus: Routine inspectors and testers

Breaking down the official government big data sources by gender, age and region. Hours and pay data based on full time equlivalent roles.