SOC 51-9061

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

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 + MD + Municipal
COL Index: 123.33 (+23.3% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 72.1% Realized
$43,818 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $60,750 $29.21/hr
Effective Tax Drag 21.87% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$13,287 $511.02/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 $29.21 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,645/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$437/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,673
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,767
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$881
Maryland Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,349
Baltimore City local income tax
3.20%
-$1,618
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$43,818 ($1,685.32 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Quality Control Inspector Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $60,750
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $38.0k 25th $47.0k Median: $60,750 50th (Median) $60.8k 75th $79.6k 90th $95.1k You: $60,750
10th (Entry) $38,050 $18.29/hr
25th (Junior) $47,020 $22.61/hr
50th (Median) $60,750 $29.21/hr
75th (Senior) $79,620 $38.28/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $95,130 $45.74/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Quality Control Inspector in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
1
QC Inspector ApprenticeVisual inspection, measurement calipers, rejection log documentation
$40,025$19.24/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified Quality InspectorCMM operation, blueprint GD&T interpretation, non-conformance reports
$57,536$27.66/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Quality Assurance TechSix Sigma green belt, statistical process control (SPC), ISO 9001 audits
$77,548$37.28/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Quality Assurance ManagerPlant quality management system, vendor audits, compliance signoff
$102,563$49.31/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
45% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,625/month Requires minimum annual gross of $65,000
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,006/month Requires minimum annual gross of $80,240
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $27.27/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $25.25/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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD.

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$60,750-$13,287$43,818$1,685.32
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$72,141-$16,425$51,387$1,976.42
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$83,531-$20,503$58,016$2,231.38
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$94,922-$24,582$64,645$2,486.34
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$106,313-$28,660$71,274$2,741.30
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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$60,750/yr
$29.21/hr · SOC 51-9061
Statutory Tax Drag
21.87% Effective
-$13,287 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
45% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,027/mo
Post-$1,625/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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: Market Snapshot

Quality Control Inspector roles in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD report a median annual wage of $60,750, 25.1% above the national median of $48,570. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $38,050 to $95,130, and HUD’s $1,625 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 32.1% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $27.27 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Quality Control Inspector

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lexington Park, MD$92,000+51.4%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$76,800+26.4%
Savannah, GA$72,800+19.8%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,950+18.4%
Anchorage, AK$71,470+17.6%
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$68,060+12.0%
Flagstaff, AZ$65,840+8.4%
Bismarck, ND$63,910+5.2%
Lake Charles, LA$63,570+4.6%
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS$63,520+4.6%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$268,030$128.86/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$168,520$81.02/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$167,350$80.46/hr
Financial Manager$157,990$75.96/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$156,730$75.35/hr
Purchasing Managers$151,990$73.07/hr
Human Resources Managers$146,370$70.37/hr
Marketing Managers$140,180$67.39/hr
Software Engineer$138,900$66.78/hr
Physician Assistant$138,790$66.73/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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Overview

Quality Control Inspector median pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is $60,750 a year ($29.21/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles. Official 2026 economic data for Quality Control Inspector in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?

The median annual wage is $60,750 ($29.21 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $38,050 and $95,130. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Quality Control Inspector in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD after taxes?

On the median wage of $60,750, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $46,736 a year ($3,895 a month) after $14,014 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 23.07%, using 2026 tax rules.