SOC 51-9061

Quality Control Inspector Salary in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY (2026)

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 + NY
COL Index: 107.06 (+7.1% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 75.8% Realized
$36,451 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $48,110 $23.13/hr
Effective Tax Drag 18.23% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$8,772 $337.40/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 $23.13 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$2,887/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$346/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$3,247
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$2,983
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$698
New York Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,845
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$36,451 ($1,401.97 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY Quality Control Inspector Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $48,110
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $36.8k 25th $42.6k Median: $48,110 50th (Median) $48.1k 75th $57.5k 90th $65.2k You: $48,110
10th (Entry) $36,820 $17.70/hr
25th (Junior) $42,570 $20.47/hr
50th (Median) $48,110 $23.13/hr
75th (Senior) $57,550 $27.67/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $65,210 $31.35/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Quality Control Inspector in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
1
QC Inspector ApprenticeVisual inspection, measurement calipers, rejection log documentation
$31,697$15.24/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Certified Quality InspectorCMM operation, blueprint GD&T interpretation, non-conformance reports
$45,564$21.91/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Quality Assurance TechSix Sigma green belt, statistical process control (SPC), ISO 9001 audits
$61,413$29.53/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Quality Assurance ManagerPlant quality management system, vendor audits, compliance signoff
$81,223$39.05/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
37% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,111/month Requires minimum annual gross of $44,440
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,453/month Requires minimum annual gross of $58,120
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.68/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $23.62/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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY.

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$48,110-$8,772$36,451$1,401.97
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$57,131-$10,938$42,765$1,644.81
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$66,151-$13,103$49,079$1,887.65
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$75,172-$15,685$54,977$2,114.49
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$84,193-$18,698$60,443$2,324.72
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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$48,110/yr
$23.13/hr · SOC 51-9061
Statutory Tax Drag
18.23% Effective
-$8,772 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
37% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$1,927/mo
Post-$1,111/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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY: Market Snapshot

Quality Control Inspector roles in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY report a median annual wage of $48,110, 0.9% below the national median of $48,570. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $36,820 to $65,210, and HUD’s $1,111 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 27.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.68 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Quality Control Inspector

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Lexington Park, MD$92,000+91.2%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$76,800+59.6%
Savannah, GA$72,800+51.3%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$71,950+49.6%
Anchorage, AK$71,470+48.6%
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$68,060+41.5%
Flagstaff, AZ$65,840+36.9%
Bismarck, ND$63,910+32.8%
Lake Charles, LA$63,570+32.1%
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS$63,520+32.0%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Computer and Information Systems Managers$148,540$71.41/hr
Sales Managers$143,280$68.88/hr
Nurse Practitioner$133,900$64.38/hr
Physician Assistant$128,870$61.96/hr
Financial Manager$123,800$59.52/hr
Software Engineer$119,350$57.38/hr
Medical and Health Services Managers$117,750$56.61/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$105,050$50.50/hr
Administrative Services Managers$104,990$50.48/hr
Electrical Power-Line Installer$104,410$50.20/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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY (2026) Overview

Quality Control Inspector median pay in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY is $48,110 a year ($23.13/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Quality Control Inspector in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

The median annual wage is $48,110 ($23.13 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $36,820 and $65,210. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Quality Control Inspector in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY after taxes?

On the median wage of $48,110, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $38,835 a year ($3,236 a month) after $9,275 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 19.28%, using 2026 tax rules.