Product grader
Also known as: product quality grader, product quality monitor, product inspector, product quality inspector, grader, product quality observer
About this occupation
Product graders perform preventive and operational quality control on products and rescources. They inspect, grade and evaluate the materials at various stages to make sure it conforms to the desired standard, and send the product back for repair or improvement if necessary. They work in companies and industrial facilities to ensure the produced commodities achieve quality standards.
Essential skills and knowledge
- define quality standards
- perform sample testing
- ensure public safety and security
- define data quality criteria
- record survey measurements
- apply safety management
- monitor manufacturing quality standards
- operate precision measuring equipment
- inspect quality of products
- use a computer
- create solutions to problems
- prepare technical reports
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products (O*NET 45-2041.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Place products in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers.
- Weigh products or estimate their weight, visually or by feel.
- Discard inferior or defective products or foreign matter, and place acceptable products in containers for further processing.
- Grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell, and quality to ensure correct processing and usage.
- Record grade or identification numbers on tags or on shipping, receiving, or sales sheets.
- Typical education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Monitoring, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Reading Comprehension
US median pay: US$35,730 a year (2025), 25,180 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
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- Food Batchmakers
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- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers
- Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.