SOC 51-9061

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + MA
COL Index: 121.21 (+21.2% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 75.0% Realized
$38,915 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $51,890 $24.95/hr
Effective Tax Drag 19% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$9,862 $379.29/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $24.95 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,113/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$374/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$3,673
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,217
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$752
Massachusetts Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,219
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$38,915 ($1,496.73 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Quality Control Inspector Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $51,890
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $42.2k 25th $48.7k Median: $51,890 50th (Median) $51.9k 75th $60.1k 90th $64.6k You: $51,890
10th (Entry) $42,240 $20.31/hr
25th (Junior) $48,740 $23.43/hr
50th (Median) $51,890 $24.95/hr
75th (Senior) $60,140 $28.91/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $64,640 $31.08/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Quality Control Inspector in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
1
QC Inspector ApprenticeVisual inspection, measurement calipers, rejection log documentation
$34,187$16.44/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified Quality InspectorCMM operation, blueprint GD&T interpretation, non-conformance reports
$49,144$23.63/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Quality Assurance TechSix Sigma green belt, statistical process control (SPC), ISO 9001 audits
$66,238$31.85/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Quality Assurance ManagerPlant quality management system, vendor audits, compliance signoff
$87,605$42.12/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA medianView National Quality Control Inspector Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers+$5,140/yr
National median: $53,710
Skill overlap: 84%
Industrial Machinery Mechanics+$15,950/yr
National median: $64,520
Skill overlap: 81%View Salary
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers+$16,810/yr
National median: $65,380
Skill overlap: 81%
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping-$2,190/yr
National median: $46,380
Skill overlap: 78%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
49% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,593/month Requires minimum annual gross of $63,720
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,034/month Requires minimum annual gross of $81,360
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $26.81/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $25.45/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$51,890-$9,862$38,915$1,496.73
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$61,619-$12,161$45,762$1,760.06
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$71,349-$14,516$52,551$2,021.21
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$81,078-$17,730$58,483$2,249.36
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$90,808-$20,944$64,415$2,477.51
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Quality Control Inspector in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Massachusetts tax codes.

Market Baseline
$51,890/yr
$24.95/hr · SOC 51-9061
Statutory Tax Drag
19% Effective
-$9,862 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
49% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$1,650/mo
Post-$1,593/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 51-9061
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Quality Control Inspector in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA: Market Snapshot

Quality Control Inspector roles in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA report a median annual wage of $51,890, 6.8% above the national median of $48,570. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $42,240 to $64,640, and HUD’s $1,593 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 36.8% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $26.81 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Quality Control Inspector

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lexington Park, MD$92,000+77.3%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$76,800+48.0%
Savannah, GA$72,800+40.3%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,950+38.7%
Anchorage, AK$71,470+37.7%
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$68,060+31.2%
Flagstaff, AZ$65,840+26.9%
Bismarck, ND$63,910+23.2%
Lake Charles, LA$63,570+22.5%
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS$63,520+22.4%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Architectural and Engineering Managers$169,330$81.41/hr
Marketing Managers$161,020$77.41/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$156,040$75.02/hr
Financial Manager$144,950$69.69/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$140,500$67.55/hr
Sales Managers$138,100$66.39/hr
Fundraising Managers$136,890$65.81/hr
Physician Assistant$134,860$64.84/hr
Nurse Practitioner$133,050$63.97/hr
Public Relations Managers$132,990$63.94/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 388 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Overview

Quality Control Inspector median pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA is $51,890 a year ($24.95/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Quality Control Inspector in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Quality Control Inspector in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

The median annual wage is $51,890 ($24.95 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $42,240 and $64,640. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Quality Control Inspector in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA after taxes?

On the median wage of $51,890, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $41,499 a year ($3,458 a month) after $10,391 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.02%, using 2026 tax rules.