A Guide to Health Inspector Salaries, Skills, Jobs, and Career Outlook

Health inspector, also known as “safety and sanitary inspector,” is an umbrella term for various roles, from food inspector to hygiene specialist, with slightly different career paths and average salaries. As a health inspector, you'll play an essential role in protecting the health and well-being of the public. You'll monitor and inspect different settings, such as factories, retail spaces, hospitals, trucks, and restaurants, to ensure they comply with health codes and regulations.

What is a health inspector?

A health inspector ensures commercial establishments and the wider public sphere meet public health standards. Similar and related jobs include:

• Environmental health officer

• Pollution control inspector

• Public safety consultant

• Restaurant inspector

• Water inspector 

Many health inspectors inspect the premises of companies that provide food and beverage services to the public. They may also investigate complaints from the public about suspected health code violations in public facilities, local institutions, the environment, or workplaces.

How much does a health inspector earn?

As a health inspector, you can expect to earn a decent salary. However, salaries can vary depending on your experience and education level. According to the Government of Canada Job Bank, health inspectors earn a median hourly wage of $41.54 CAD, which comes out to roughly $86,403 CAD annually [1]. However, wages can vary between $47,840 CAD and $117,333 CAD depending on experience, location, education levels, and other factors.

Here’s how other salary websites break down the average base salaries for a public health inspector:

Factors affecting salary

Several factors affect a health inspector’s salary, including experience level, industry, geographic location, workplace, and qualifications.

• Experience: Health inspectors with more experience tend to earn higher salaries than those with less experience. For example, a health inspector with less than one year of experience earns a base salary of $70,862 CAD, while a health inspector with 10 to 14 years of experience earns a salary of $105,359 CAD [2].

• Industry: The industry in which your work affects your salary as a health inspector. The demand for health inspectors is highest in public administration and health care, which can translate to higher salaries [4].

• Geographic location: Geographic location is another crucial factor. Salaries for health inspectors in Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario are typically higher per hour than in most other provinces. Health inspectors in large cities will likely make more than their rural counterparts within a single province.

Here’s a breakdown of health inspector salaries based on different provinces [1]:

Alberta: $92,394 CAD

Quebec: $94,931 CAD

Ontario: $87,360 CAD

British Columbia: $83,200 CAD

Nova Scotia: $83,533 CAD

• Qualifications: Health inspectors with higher qualifications (e.g., a degree in public health) tend to earn higher salaries than those with less education.

Common health inspector job titles (with salaries)

As you look through job websites, you’ll discover different inspection earnings and job titles because the duties of a health inspector vary depending on the job role. 

For example, a biologist may earn a slightly higher salary than an industrial hygienist. 

These jobs all have different duties, but they all work to protect the health and safety of the public or workers in various industries. Check out these jobs related to health inspector roles with their average annual earnings:

• Biologist: $72,446 CAD [5]

• Hazardous materials inspector: $67,809 CAD [6]

• Environmental health officer: $74,176 CAD [7]

• Policy manager: $89,735 CAD [8]

• Occupational health and safety specialist: $86,031 [9]

What are the typical job responsibilities of a health inspector?

As a health inspector, you’ll ensure public facilities, commercial settings, and environments meet health and safety standards. You’ll do different daily tasks according to the focus or specialization of your role, which may include: 

• Inspect restaurants and other food service establishments to ensure they comply with health codes and regulations.

• Look for evidence of foodborne illness, unsanitary conditions, and other potential health hazards.

• Issue citations or fines or even close an establishment if it poses an imminent threat to public health

• Produce reports and make expert testimonies in court.

• Inspect restaurants, hotels, schools, and other public places to ensure they are clean, free of hazards, and comply with health codes and regulations.

• Investigate accidents and incidents to determine their cause and make recommendations to prevent future incidents.

• Develop and implement health and safety education programs.

Where does a health inspector typically work?

As a health inspector, you might work for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) or the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI). You might also find employment in a hospital, school, manufacturing firm, mining company, or private consulting firm.  

The job is usually full-time, with occasional evening or weekend work hours. You’ll typically work in an office setting but also spend time in the field, inspecting schools, businesses, food service facilities, care facilities, offices, jails, or factories.

What degree should you get to become a health inspector?

According to Job Bank Canada, you typically need a bachelor’s degree in public health, environmental science, chemistry, food science, or a related field to be recruited as a health inspector. During your education, you need to learn about health, social and physical sciences, environmental health legislation, and ethics to prepare for a health inspection career. To become a health inspector with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), you’ll typically need at least a university degree with a specialization in technical sciences. 

Helpful courses

Courses that may be helpful include food safety, sanitation, and biology. These courses can help you better understand the role of an inspection manager and the job responsibilities. 

Should you get a master’s degree?

If you want to fast-track your health inspector career, a master's degree may help depending on the specific role you're interested in and the organization's requirements where you'd like to work. In some cases, a master's degree may be preferred or required, while in others, it may not be necessary. 

What do I do after getting my degree?

After getting your degree, you’ll need to continue learning and developing. You'll need to do on-the-job training to learn the ropes and gain experience in the field. This can give you an edge over other candidates when applying for jobs. 

After you graduate, you will likely need to become certified with the CIPHI. CIPHI’s Certificate in Public Health Inspection ensures that public health professionals meet the professional criteria required by different provinces, cities, the federal government, and other employers of public health professionals. The certification entails a 12-week practicum, CIPHI membership, and an examination with both written and oral components.

Some additional certifications that can boost your resume for an inspection management role are: 

• Canadian Registered Occupational Hygienist (CROH)

• Certificate in Public Health Inspection (CPHI)

• Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP)

• Certified Safety Professional (CSP)

Competencies you need to become a health inspector

You'll need to develop specific competencies to become a health inspector. First and foremost, you'll need strong observation skills and attention to detail. Health inspectors need to be able to pick up on minor details to ensure establishments are meeting all health and safety standards. Also, you must think critically and analytically in potentially tricky situations and make good, data-driven decisions. Also, good communication skills are essential, as health inspectors must often explain complex regulations to business owners. Finally, health inspectors must stay calm under pressure and handle stressful situations effectively.

Health inspectors must be physically fit to climb stairs, lift objects, and stand for long periods. They also need to have good stamina and be able to work long hours, sometimes on-call, as needed. Health inspector jobs require computer skills, as most record-keeping is now done electronically.

Roles that help prepare you for health inspector job applications

When looking to build your resume early in your career, relevant experience can help improve the attractiveness of your candidacy to future employers. Explore some roles where you can pick up useful experience to help you as a health inspector, such as:

• Working in a restaurant as a cook or server

• Working in a food production factory

• Working in a grocery store

• Working as a janitor or cleaning crew member

• Working in customer service

• Working as a barista

Previous experience as a medical assistant may also provide you with knowledge and competencies that prospective employers value. You can take on these additional roles at college, in your community, or with your current employer to highlight your commitment to a career as a health inspector:

• Advocate for public policies that promote health and prevent disease

• Collaborate with partners to promote healthy communities

• Conduct research on health topics

• Develop and implement health education programs

• Disseminate information about health topics to the public

• Evaluate the effectiveness of health education programs

• Serve on boards and committees that address public health issues

• Serve as a public health educator in the community

• Work with other health professionals to promote wellness and disease prevention

• Write grants to support health education programs

Career prospects of a health inspector

A career as a health inspector can be gratifying, with many opportunities for advancement and the potential to earn a good salary. That said, the job outlook for safety and sanitary inspectors varies from province to province. For instance, future job prospects in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba are moderate, while prospects in Saskatchewan and the Yukon Territory are good. Consider where you plan to live as you decide whether to pursue a career as a health inspector, for the availability of opportunities may vary according to your province. 

After working as a health inspector, you’ll uncover many options for furthering your career. You could, for example, become a: 

• Public health inspector

• Pollution control inspector

• Industrial safety officer

• Environmental health and safety coordinator

With experience and further education, you could also move into other related fields, such as safety engineering, occupational health nursing, or industrial hygiene inspector.

Start preparing for a health inspector role.

A career as a health inspector offers myriad opportunities for specialization and variety, and salary projections vary according to the precise type of work you pursue and the location you’re in. If you’re excited to begin developing your professional life as a health inspector, you can build your competencies and enhance your resume by taking courses. 

The Foundations of Global Health Specialization, offered by Johns Hopkins University on Coursera, is a great option to broaden your knowledge and hone your expertise. You might also consider the University of Florida’s course The Meat We Eat, a seven-module course about regularly consumed foods' quality, safety, healthfulness, and sustainability. You can also check out The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health by Johns Hopkins University, where you can discover more about the history of the public health field and learn about public health tools, like data, communications, and policy.