Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping play a key role in tracking quantities, measurements, and related records across a variety of workplaces. National employment stands at 50,000, indicating a moderate-sized occupation with a defined presence in the labor market. With a national median annual salary of $45,650, this path can offer a stable income for individuals who bring the right mix of skills and reliability. The typical education level is a high school diploma or equivalent, which makes this career accessible to many students and career changers who are ready to enter the workforce without extensive postsecondary schooling. Employers value strengths in mathematics, attention to detail, mechanical and fine motor abilities, and physical strength and stamina, along with interpersonal and communication skills. For those considering alternatives, related options include log graders and scalers, inspectors and testers, plant and system operators, miscellaneous construction and related workers, and water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators.
The national median annual salary for weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping is $45,650. Salaries vary meaningfully by location. Among states, Washington shows a median of $48,920, while New York and Massachusetts are at $46,970 and $46,880, respectively. California and Colorado fall near the national level at $45,730 and $46,160. At the metro level, pay tends to be somewhat higher in several major areas. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, reports a median salary of $49,500, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, is close behind at $49,330. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, also show medians above $47,000. These differences suggest that earnings potential can improve in specific metro areas and certain states, so location choices may significantly affect pay within this occupation.
Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping currently employ about 50,000 workers nationally. The occupation is projected to experience a -4.8% change in employment, indicating a decline over the projection period. Despite this negative growth rate, there are still an estimated 5,000 annual openings. These openings can come from a combination of factors such as workers changing occupations, retiring, or leaving the labor force, even when overall employment is not growing. This means there may continue to be entry points into the field for new workers, especially those who bring the key skills employers seek. Individuals considering this path should take the projected contraction into account when planning a long-term career and may also want to be aware of related roles such as inspectors and testers or plant and system operators as potential alternatives over time.
Geography plays a significant role in opportunities for weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping. Among states, California stands out with 7,510 employed workers and a median salary of $45,730, along with an opportunity score of 67.38. New York and Massachusetts both show higher median salaries—$46,970 and $46,880—and opportunity scores above 65, but with smaller employment bases of 2,240 and 850. Washington offers the highest listed state median salary at $48,920 and an opportunity score of 56.29, while Colorado posts a median of $46,160 and opportunity score of 56.97. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, both have opportunity scores above 77, the highest in the list, with median salaries of $49,330 and $47,350. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, also combines relatively high pay of $49,500 with a strong opportunity score of 68.75, highlighting distinct pockets of opportunity in specific metros.
The typical education level for weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to individuals entering the workforce directly after high school or those looking to change careers without pursuing a college degree. Success in this occupation relies heavily on a combination of technical, physical, and interpersonal skills. Mathematics and detail orientation support accurate measurements and recordkeeping. Mechanical ability, fine motor skills, and physical strength and stamina are important where equipment handling or physical tasks are involved. Project management and interpersonal skills help with coordinating tasks and working effectively with others, while writing and reading skills are central to maintaining accurate records. Competence with computers and information technology adds another dimension, supporting modern recordkeeping and data entry. Together, this mix of abilities enables workers to perform the role effectively and adapt to different workplace settings within the occupation.
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