Food and Drug Inspector Career Path Guide
To become a food and drug inspector, you need to begin by determining if this career is a good fit for you; asking yourself a few questions may help.
Are you interested in a career that allows you to help ensure public health by keeping dangerous foods off the shelves? Are you interested in a career that allows you to conduct work in the office as well as in the field? Would working closely with other professionals in your field appeal to you? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to these questions, you may be well suited for a career as a food and drug inspector.
Below we've outlined what you'll need to succeed in this line of work. We've also included helpful information for this career, such as job description, job duties, salary expectations, a list of possible employers and much more!
Education Needed to Become a Food and Drug Inspector
To qualify for an entry-level position in this field, most employers will require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant area, such as public health, biology, chemistry, human ecology or similar fields (requirements will vary by employer).
In order to advance to mid-level and senior-level positions, you'll likely need to have a certain amount of work experience, a graduate level degree or a combination of the two, as determined by the employer.
General Job Description
Food and drug inspectors are responsible for inspecting establishments where foods, drugs, and similar consumer items are manufactured, handled, stored, or sold to enforce legal standards of sanitation, purity, and grading. Food and drug inspectors may work in the inspection of food and drug products produced domestically, or they may work in the inspection of food and drug products that are produced internationally.
Typical Job Duties & Responsibilities
• Organize visits to specified manufacturing and packaging facilities
• Investigate the conditions and hygiene habits of manufacturing and packaging personnel
• Prohibit the sale of impure, damaged, toxic or misbranded items
• Obtain evidence for prosecuting violators by interviewing employees, consumers, distributors and vendors
• Ensure that manufacturers posses all necessary licenses and permits
• Provide recommendations to senior management regarding changes in facilities and practices
• Analyze and interpret the results of nutritional and health related testing
• Prepare reports based on facility inspections
Typical Salary Level
The salary level of food and drug inspectors may vary depending on many factors, such as their level of education, their level of experience and many others.
Food and Drug Inspector Salary United States: According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary of workers in the Occupational Health and Safety Specialists occupational group is $64,660 per year.
Food and Drug Inspector Salary Alberta: According to the 2019 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Inspectors in Public and Environmental Health and Occupational Health and Safety occupational group, which includes food and drug inspectors, earn an average salary of $80,949 per year. According to WorkBC (the Province of British Columbia), those working the same occupational group have an annual provincial median salary of $74,672.
Relevant Work Experience Needed
Although it may not be mandatory, many employers in the field of food and drug safety prefer hiring candidates who have work experience. Working an internship, co-op or practicum position can be a great way to gain in-field experience as a student.
Speak with your professors or your school’s career services office in order to get information on such opportunities. Working an entry-level job for an organization involved in the production, adulteration, or representation of food or drug products is a great way to gain experience in this field while you are a student, or after you have graduated.
Work Environment of Food and Drug Inspectors
Work Conditions: Food and drug inspectors spend a large amount of their time travelling to food production and related facilities in order to conduct inspections and meet with management. This portion of their work may involve being exposed to strenuous, dangerous or stressful conditions. They typically use safety gloves, helmets and other safety equipment in order to reduce their risk of injury while working.
Work Schedule: Food and drug inspectors typically work normal, weekday working hours on a full-time basis. Some inspectors may be required to work evenings, weekends or other irregular hours in order to perform certain work functions, or to travel home from visiting a facility or region.
Who Employs Them?
The federal government is the primary employer of food and drug inspectors in Canada and the United States, as food and drug safety is a public concern and administered by the government. However there are other organizations that employ the skills, knowledge and competencies of these professionals. Organizations that hire food and drug inspectors include:
• Regional, provincial/state and national government departments
• Non-governmental organizations interested in food hygiene or food sanitation and drug safety
• Lobbyist groups
Food & Drug Inspector Jobs - Current Postings
Our job board below has "food & drug inspector" postings in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Similar Occupational Profiles in Our Database
Listed below are careers in our database that are similar in nature to "food and drug inspector", as they may involve many of the same skills, competencies and responsibilities.
References
Please use the references below to find more information on the various aspects of a career as a food and drug inspector.
Occupations in Alberta: “Public Health Inspector.” (March 31, 2019). ALIS website - Alberta Learning Information Service. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
Production: “Quality Control Inspectors.” (September 4, 2019). Occupational Outlook Handbook - United States Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
Jobs and Training at FDA: “Jobs and Training at FDA.” (n.d.) U.S. Food and Drug Administration website. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
CFIA Jobs: “Career Profiles.” (n.d.) Canadian Food and Drug Inspection Agency website. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
Scholarships for Becoming a Food and Drug Inspector
The scholarships in our database that are relevant for becoming a food and drug inspector are all of those that are found on the following pages:
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!
Applicable Majors
Studying one of the university majors listed below is an excellent starting point for working in this field. Click on the links to find out what else you can do with these majors!
