Also called: State Inspection Technician, Smog Check Technician
Checks cars for safety and emissions problems at state inspection stations.
You check brakes, lights, tires, and horn, then plug into the car's computer to test emissions. Cars that fail get a list of required repairs.
Estimated.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 0 years after high school. State inspector license after a short course.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Automotive Technology.
Shrinking. Shrinking as states drop inspection programs and EVs need no emissions tests.
High risk for 10 years. Plug-in computer checks already do most emissions tests, and many states dropped inspections; few jobs remain.
Age 18+. One way to start: Work at a shop that does state inspections and take the state inspector course First: State inspector license after a short course and test
Classes: Auto tech CTE, Math.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-6051.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.