How much does an Emissions Inspector make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Emissions Inspector in the United States is $65,095 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.
However, an Emissions Inspector's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $82,921
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $58,820 to $74,426
Key Factors That Influence Emissions Inspector Salaries
An Emissions Inspector's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Emissions Inspector Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Emissions Inspector's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Emissions Inspector Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Emissions Inspectors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $72,074.
California: $71,800.
Massachusetts: $70,843.
District of Columbia$72,074
California$71,800
Massachusetts$70,843
Washington$70,583
New Jersey$70,557
Alaska$70,466
Connecticut$69,567
New York$69,203
Hawaii$68,038
Rhode Island$67,491
Maryland$67,120
Minnesota$66,612
Colorado$66,417
Illinois$66,352
Oregon$66,104
Delaware$65,922
New Hampshire$65,808
Virginia$65,551
Pennsylvania$64,802
Nevada$64,425
North Dakota$64,301
Michigan$64,106
Wisconsin$64,034
Vermont$63,891
Texas$63,494
Maine$63,468
Arizona$63,429
Ohio$63,383
Georgia$62,785
Indiana$62,485
Wyoming$62,426
Utah$62,335
Iowa$62,296
Kansas$61,984
Louisiana$61,893
North Carolina$61,860
Missouri$61,847
Florida$61,593
Montana$61,457
Nebraska$61,326
Kentucky$61,255
South Carolina$60,994
Tennessee$60,832
Idaho$60,767
New Mexico$60,291
Oklahoma$60,187
Alabama$59,803
South Dakota$59,159
Arkansas$58,807
West Virginia$58,618
Mississippi$58,052
Top Paying Cities for Emissions Inspectors
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $82,105
San Francisco: $81,206
Oakland: $79,495
San Jose, CA$82,105
San Francisco, CA$81,206
Oakland, CA$79,495
New York, NY$74,950
Paramus, NJ$74,039
Queens Village, NY$74,036
Passaic, NJ$73,974
Bergenfield, NJ$73,968
Stamford, CT$73,825
Huntington, NY$73,798
Newark, NJ$73,317
Bridgeport, CT$73,180
Vallejo, CA$73,050
New Brunswick, NJ$73,024
Petaluma, CA$72,985
Middlesex, NJ$72,861
Somerset, NJ$72,816
Santa Cruz, CA$72,731
Boston, MA$72,334
Monterey, CA$72,106
Seattle, WA$71,956
Santa Rosa, CA$71,943
Los Angeles, CA$71,924
Juneau, AK$71,755
Washington, DC$71,683
Orange, CA$71,451
Santa Ana, CA$71,279
Long Beach, CA$71,214
Anaheim, CA$71,201
Anchorage, AK$71,169
Santa Maria, CA$70,974
Everett, WA$70,960
Danbury, CT$70,731
Bremerton, WA$70,642
Tacoma, WA$70,407
New Suffolk, NY$70,406
Sacramento, CA$70,388
Santa Barbara, CA$70,316
Trenton, NJ$70,244
San Diego, CA$70,244
Brockton, MA$70,173
Fairbanks, AK$70,013
Lompoc, CA$69,847
Lowell, MA$69,795
Ventura, CA$69,782
Nashua, NH$69,769
Stockton, CA$69,763
Modesto, CA$69,288
Poughkeepsie, NY$69,144
Olympia, WA$69,021
Kennewick, WA$69,021
New Haven, CT$68,995
Lawrence, MA$68,760
Hartford, CT$68,695
Riverside, CA$68,682
New Bedford, MA$68,617
Richland, WA$68,617
Bakersfield, CA$68,526
San Bernardino, CA$68,500
New Britain, CT$68,493
Atlantic City, NJ$68,493
New London, CT$68,467
Norwich, CT$68,448
Portsmouth, NH$68,435
Boulder, CO$68,297
Portland, OR$68,207
Worcester, MA$68,200
Minneapolis, MN$67,999
Philadelphia, PA$67,908
Honolulu, HI$67,693
Saint Paul, MN$67,661
Vineland, NJ$67,647
Providence, RI$67,458
Chicago, IL$67,270
Bellingham, WA$67,191
Springfield, MA$67,139
Baltimore, MD$67,120
Chico, CA$66,957
Pittsfield, MA$66,781
Manchester, NH$66,658
Spokane, WA$66,371
Denver, CO$66,365
Albany, NY$66,059
Troy, NY$66,033
Nassau, NY$65,963
Schenectady, NY$65,896
Wilmington, DE$65,844
Burlington, VT$65,753
Salem, OR$65,727
Portland, ME$65,525
Yakima, WA$65,460
Rochester, MN$65,258
Reno, NV$65,226
Fresno, CA$65,226
Milwaukee, WI$65,167
Detroit, MI$65,102
Ann Arbor, MI$65,091
Allentown, PA$65,082
Colorado Springs, CO$64,972
Syracuse, NY$64,939
Carson City, NV$64,939
Houston, TX$64,848
Eugene, OR$64,815
Gary, IN$64,737
Springfield, OR$64,685
Bismarck, ND$64,672
Galveston, TX$64,627
Medford, OR$64,529
Fort Collins, CO$64,503
Concord, NH$64,470
Austin, TX$64,451
Mesa, AZ$64,314
Reading, PA$64,308
Phoenix, AZ$64,301
Dallas, TX$64,282
Saint Cloud, MN$64,219
Madison, WI$64,132
Utica, NY$63,956
Rochester, NY$63,852
Des Moines, IA$63,846
Raleigh, NC$63,839
Atlanta, GA$63,741
Battle Creek, MI$63,722
Salt Lake City, UT$63,702
Lancaster, PA$63,605
Harrisburg, PA$63,514
Kansas City, MO$63,448
Champaign, IL$63,435
Kansas City, KS$63,435
Fort Worth, TX$63,429
Columbus, OH$63,418
Boca Raton, FL$63,403
Pittsburgh, PA$63,377
Richmond, VA$63,351
Indianapolis, IN$63,338
Cleveland, OH$63,331
Las Vegas, NV$63,253
Cincinnati, OH$63,253
Petersburg, VA$63,156
Huntsville, AL$63,058
Lansing, MI$63,014
Lebanon, PA$63,006
Pueblo, CO$62,999
Appleton, WI$62,980
Buffalo, NY$62,954
Dayton, OH$62,934
Racine, WI$62,921
Charlotte, NC$62,915
Saint Louis, MO$62,895
York, PA$62,856
Elkhart, IN$62,856
Gastonia, NC$62,844
Billings, MT$62,828
Beaumont, TX$62,811
Lorain, OH$62,798
Benton Harbor, MI$62,785
Toledo, OH$62,771
Binghamton, NY$62,739
Rock Hill, SC$62,732
Rockford, IL$62,700
Springfield, IL$62,674
Elyria, OH$62,667
Fargo, ND$62,667
Flagstaff, AZ$62,622
Fort Lauderdale, FL$62,583
Duluth, MN$62,544
Miami, FL$62,544
Cheyenne, WY$62,498
Grand Forks, ND$62,498
Bangor, ME$62,355
Cedar Rapids, IA$62,283
Durham, NC$62,256
Louisville, KY$62,251
Grand Rapids, MI$62,238
Hialeah, FL$62,231
Casper, WY$62,140
Scranton, PA$62,062
New Orleans, LA$62,042
Virginia Beach, VA$62,036
Akron, OH$62,003
Peoria, IL$61,919
Sarasota, FL$61,906
Nashville, TN$61,860
Omaha, NE$61,860
Green Bay, WI$61,860
Baton Rouge, LA$61,828
Charleston, SC$61,815
Jamestown, NY$61,782
Davenport, IA$61,782
Tucson, AZ$61,749
Saint Petersburg, FL$61,710
Tampa, FL$61,697
Evansville, IN$61,658
Port Arthur, TX$61,658
Bradenton, FL$61,632
Santa Fe, NM$61,515
Orlando, FL$61,398
Clearwater, FL$61,378
Canton, OH$61,242
La Crosse, WI$61,242
Albuquerque, NM$61,203
Newport News, VA$61,196
High Point, NC$61,177
Ogden, UT$61,151
Corpus Christi, TX$61,099
Norfolk, VA$61,059
Laramie, WY$61,059
Rock Island, IL$61,020
Saginaw, MI$61,007
Jacksonville, FL$61,001
Salisbury, NC$60,988
Boise, ID$60,975
Moline, IL$60,942
Fort Myers, FL$60,923
Memphis, TN$60,910
Tulsa, OK$60,877
Waterloo, IA$60,838
Spartanburg, SC$60,773
Lincoln, NE$60,741
Fort Wayne, IN$60,727
Provo, UT$60,721
Cedar Falls, IA$60,643
San Antonio, TX$60,617
Greensboro, NC$60,591
South Bend, IN$60,584
Savannah, GA$60,513
Muskegon, MI$60,487
Birmingham, AL$60,480
Winston Salem, NC$60,448
Lake Charles, LA$60,291
Anderson, IN$60,278
Lexington, KY$60,259
Augusta, GA$60,239
Greenville, SC$60,239
Lima, OH$60,187
Wichita, KS$60,181
Tuscaloosa, AL$60,181
Columbia, SC$60,122
Springfield, OH$60,109
Asheville, NC$60,005
Bloomington, IN$59,959
Knoxville, TN$59,725
Shreveport, LA$59,719
Wilmington, NC$59,634
Roanoke, VA$59,634
Topeka, KS$59,517
Frankfort, KY$59,510
Oklahoma City, OK$59,465
Chillicothe, OH$59,439
Longview, TX$59,432
Melbourne, FL$59,426
Sioux Falls, SD$59,321
Mobile, AL$59,315
Terre Haute, IN$59,289
Altoona, PA$59,250
Amarillo, TX$59,204
Killeen, TX$59,185
Fayetteville, AR$59,133
Chattanooga, TN$59,113
Sioux City, IA$59,055
Idaho Falls, ID$59,042
Lynchburg, VA$58,989
Gainesville, FL$58,905
Portsmouth, OH$58,872
Little Rock, AR$58,859
Lafayette, LA$58,833
Youngstown, OH$58,833
Daytona Beach, FL$58,794
Clarksville, TN$58,788
Pensacola, FL$58,781
Temple, TX$58,777
Hopkinsville, KY$58,586
Erie, PA$58,573
Florence, SC$58,547
Charleston, WV$58,443
Great Falls, MT$58,410
Macon, GA$58,319
Tallahassee, FL$58,312
Fayetteville, NC$58,299
Waco, TX$58,286
Helena, MT$58,241
Pine Bluff, AR$58,216
Vincennes, IN$58,137
Lubbock, TX$58,111
Alamogordo, NM$58,072
Twin Falls, ID$58,013
Rapid City, SD$57,993
Jackson, MS$57,876
Huntington, WV$57,872
Greenville, MS$57,870
Parkersburg, WV$57,803
Montgomery, AL$57,792
Wichita Falls, TX$57,727
Springfield, MO$57,727
Biloxi, MS$57,694
Monroe, LA$57,629
Johnstown, PA$57,583
Sumter, SC$57,557
Columbus, GA$57,551
Pascagoula, MS$57,427
Abilene, TX$57,427
Kingsport, TN$57,258
Albany, GA$57,258
Gulfport, MS$57,238
Alexandria, LA$57,024
Fort Smith, AR$56,861
El Paso, TX$56,685
Las Cruces, NM$56,392
Harlingen, TX$56,227
Pocatello, ID$56,216
Florence, AL$56,132
Brownsville, TX$56,119
Mcallen, TX$55,982
Dothan, AL$55,891
Columbus, MS$55,504
Altus, OK$55,201
Lawton, OK$55,077
Pierre, SD$54,843
What Skills Can Increase an Emissions Inspector's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 4.91% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Safety Management (Mentioned in 3.63% Job Postings): Applying safety principles, framework, processes, and measures to prevent accidents, injuries, and other adverse consequences.
Risk Assessment (Mentioned in 1.57% Job Postings): Broadly speaking, a risk assessment is the combined effort of: identifying and analyzing potential (future) events that may negatively impact individuals, assets, and/or the environment (i.e. risk analysis); and making judgments "on the tolerability of the risk on the basis of a risk analysis" while considering influencing factors (i.e. risk evaluation).Put in simpler terms, a risk assessment analyzes what can go wrong, how likely it is to happen, what the potential consequences are, and how tolerable the identified risk is. As part of this process, the resulting determination of risk may be expressed in a quantitative or qualitative fashion. The risk assessment is an inherent part of an overall risk management strategy, which attempts to, after a risk assessment, "introduce control measures to eliminate or reduce" any potential risk-related consequences.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Emissions Inspector's salary.
Aviation: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Radiation Safety: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Microsoft PowerPoint: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Emissions Inspector Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Emissions Inspector roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Emissions Inspector positions in MFG Durable or Media typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Emissions Inspector as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Emissions Inspector
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense
$81,369
$39.0
25%
Biotechnology
$78,114
$38.0
20%
Business Services
$74,860
$36.0
15%
Chemicals
$72,907
$35.0
12%
Construction
$71,605
$34.0
10%
How Education impacts an Emissions Inspector's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Emissions Inspectors enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for an Emissions Inspector with a Associate's Degree is between
$57,661
and $63,060).
Emissions Inspector Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Emissions Inspector's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$58,820
Average$65,095/year
$74,426
$4,902
Average$5,425/month
$6,202
$1,131
Average$1,252/week
$1,431
$28
Average$31/hour
$36
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$74,426
$6,202
$1,431
$36
Average
$65,095
$5,425
$1,252
$31
25th Percentile
$58,820
$4,902
$1,131
$28
Salaries of Jobs related to Emissions Inspector
Emissions Stack Testing Project Manager$146,708
Elevator Inspector$76,229
Building Inspector$60,901
Health Inspector$59,613
Public Transportation Inspector$59,352
Emissions Technician$54,740
Emissions Testing Technician$52,017
Agricultural Inspector$51,666
Municipal Inspector$47,690
Inspector$42,855
Marine Cargo Inspector$41,184
Salary Trends for Emissions Inspector
Salaries for an Emissions Inspector can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $62,430 in 2023
to around $62,390 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Emissions Inspector salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Emissions Inspector Over Time
$???
$62,430
$62,745
$62,390
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$62,430
2024
$62,745
2025
$62,390
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Emissions Inspector
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Emissions Inspector
Here are companies hiring for Emissions Inspector and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Emissions Inspector
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Emissions Inspector?
The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Emissions Inspector roles,
with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
