Explore the rankings
Manufacturing & Production · Updated Aug 2026

Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers

Inspect, test, sort, sample, or weigh nonagricultural raw materials or processed, machined, fabricated, or assembled parts or products for defects, wear, and deviations from specifications. May use precision measuring instruments and complex test equipment.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
56/100
Moderate

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
48/100
Moderate

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence82/100
Task coverage85%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Discard or reject products, materials, or equipment not meeting specifications.High
72
Mark items with details, such as grade or acceptance-rejection status.High
74
Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as rulers, calipers, gauges, or micrometers.High
73
Notify supervisors or other personnel of production problems.High
74
Read dials or meters to verify that equipment is functioning at specified levels.High
73
Analyze test data, making computations as necessary, to determine test results.High
72
Check arriving materials to ensure that they match purchase orders, submitting discrepancy reports as necessary.High
74
Make minor adjustments to equipment, such as turning setscrews to calibrate instruments to required tolerances.High
71
Read blueprints, data, manuals, or other materials to determine specifications, inspection and testing procedures, adjustment methods, certification processes, formulas, or measuring instruments required.High
61
Inspect or test raw materials, parts, or products to determine compliance with environmental standards.High
58
Record inspection or test data, such as weights, temperatures, grades, or moisture content, and quantities inspected or graded.High
56
Recommend necessary corrective actions, based on inspection results.High
58
Grade, classify, or sort products according to sizes, weights, colors, or other specifications.Medium
74
Stack or arrange tested products for further processing, shipping, or packaging.Medium
74
Compute defect percentages or averages, using formulas and calculators.Medium
73
Administer tests to assess whether engineers or operators are qualified to use equipment.High
72
Monitor machines that automatically measure, sort, or inspect products.High
52
Inspect, test, or measure materials, products, installations, or work for conformance to specifications.High
37
Write test or inspection reports describing results, recommendations, or needed repairs.High
45
Monitor production operations or equipment to ensure conformance to specifications, making necessary process or assembly adjustments.High
37
Compare colors, shapes, textures, or grades of products or materials with color charts, templates, or samples to verify conformance to standards.High
31
Adjust, clean, or repair products or processing equipment to correct defects found during inspections.Medium
30
Clean, maintain, calibrate, or repair measuring instruments or test equipment, such as dial indicators, fixed gauges, or height gauges.High
21
Fabricate, install, position, or connect components, parts, finished products, or instruments for testing or operational purposes.High
17
Remove defects, such as chips, burrs, or lap corroded or pitted surfaces.Medium
18
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Mark items with details, such as grade or acceptance-rejection status.74
  2. Notify supervisors or other personnel of production problems.74
  3. Check arriving materials to ensure that they match purchase orders, submitting discrepancy reports as necessary.74
  4. Grade, classify, or sort products according to sizes, weights, colors, or other specifications.74
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Fabricate, install, position, or connect components, parts, finished products, or instruments for testing or operational purposes.01
  2. Remove defects, such as chips, burrs, or lap corroded or pitted surfaces.02
  3. Clean, maintain, calibrate, or repair measuring instruments or test equipment, such as dial indicators, fixed gauges, or height gauges.03
  4. Adjust, clean, or repair products or processing equipment to correct defects found during inspections.04
  5. Compare colors, shapes, textures, or grades of products or materials with color charts, templates, or samples to verify conformance to standards.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

See all rankings →
Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency72
Physical dependency56
Adoption pressure51
Labour-market resilience65
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence82/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →