Quality Inspector Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Quality inspectors in Tucson measure missile hardware, aerospace bearings, precision optics and irrigation parts against the drawing and decide what ships. Raytheon starts union inspectors at $22.66 an hour, and Edmund Optics, Rain Bird and Sargent Aerospace & Defense hire for the work too. Current openings are below.
Current Quality Inspector Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Quality Inspector Work in Tucson
Inspection in Tucson is concentrated in plants where a bad part is a legal problem, not just a scrap cost. Raytheon's missile plant on East Hermans Road, south of Tucson International Airport, staffs inspectors on every shift, including a Friday-to-Sunday weekend crew, under a union contract with U.S. citizenship and Secret clearance requirements. Sargent Aerospace & Defense on the northwest side inspects aerospace components to AS9100, and Edmund Optics checks lenses and optical assemblies against optical and mechanical drawings.
That is why Tucson postings ask for two years of inspection experience, drawing literacy and hands-on gauge work rather than a general eye for detail. Rain Bird adds quality inspector and quality technician roles on its irrigation product lines, where SPC data and written work instructions are part of the job. Pima Community College's Machining Inspection and Quality Assurance Certificate at the Downtown Campus is the local credential built for this work.
Top Tucson Employers for Quality Inspectors
These Tucson manufacturers hire quality inspectors:
- Raytheon (RTX) - in-process and final inspection on missile hardware at Building 801 on East Hermans Road; union scale, U.S. citizenship and a Secret clearance required.
- Edmund Optics - quality assurance inspectors checking optical components with calipers, micrometers and drop indicators; U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Sargent Aerospace & Defense - Inspector I, II and III roles in an AS9100 aerospace manufacturing shop on the northwest side.
- Rain Bird - quality inspectors and quality technicians on irrigation product lines, writing inspection reports and work instructions.
Quality Inspector Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level: roughly $18 to $22 an hour.
- Experienced (2 to 5 years): roughly $22 to $28 an hour.
- Senior inspector, CMM programmer or lead: roughly $28 to $36 an hour.
Posted pay anchors the bottom of the range: Raytheon starts union inspectors at $22.66 an hour, and Edmund Optics has posted $20 to $22 for an experienced QA inspector. Cleared defense work, coordinate measuring machine programming and an ASQ certification push pay toward the top, and off-shift work can add a premium. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.
How to Become a Quality Inspector in Tucson
Arizona issues no license for quality inspectors. Tucson employers want proof you can read a drawing and measure: most postings ask for a high school diploma or GED plus two years of inspection or quality experience, and Raytheon adds dexterity, vision and practical tests. Pima Community College's Machining Inspection and Quality Assurance Certificate is a one-year program at the Center of Excellence in Applied Technology on the Downtown Campus, and it stacks with the CNC Operator Certificate and the Machine Tool Technology AAS. Many inspectors also move over from assembly or machining once they know the parts.
Useful portable credentials include the ASQ Certified Quality Inspector and, for electronics work, IPC-A-610. Defense roles at Raytheon and Sargent require U.S. citizenship, and Raytheon requires a Secret clearance or the ability to obtain an interim one.
What the Job Involves
You measure parts against a drawing and decide whether they pass. That means receiving inspection on incoming material, first article inspection before a run is released, in-process checks on a sampling plan, and final inspection before shipment. You work with calipers, micrometers, height gauges, pin and thread gauges, optical comparators and coordinate measuring machines. You write up nonconformances, quarantine bad material and support root cause investigations. Your signature carries weight, and overtime rises when a delivery is close.
Skills Employers Look For
- Blueprint reading and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing
- Precision measurement with calipers, micrometers, height gauges and indicators
- Coordinate measuring machine operation, and programming at the senior level
- Sampling plans and statistical process control
- Nonconformance documentation and root cause analysis
- Standards literacy: ISO 9001 and AS9100 for aerospace, IPC for electronics
- The willingness to reject a part when the schedule says ship it
Career Path and Advancement
Inspection is one of the better rungs in Tucson manufacturing because it moves in several directions. Inspectors advance from Inspector I to II and III, CMM programmer or quality technician, then into quality engineering, supplier quality or internal auditing. Because Raytheon and Sargent both work to aerospace and defense standards, Tucson inspectors build experience that transfers between them, and a Secret clearance earned at Raytheon makes you portable across defense work in Southern Arizona.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the closest roles to quality inspection:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a certification to be a quality inspector in Arizona?
No. Arizona does not license quality inspectors and there is no state exam. Employers hire on measurement skill and blueprint literacy. An ASQ Certified Quality Inspector credential or Pima Community College's Machining Inspection and Quality Assurance Certificate helps, but neither is legally required.
Can you become a quality inspector in Tucson without manufacturing experience?
It is hard. Raytheon, Edmund Optics and Sargent postings commonly ask for two years of inspection or quality experience. The usual routes in are Pima's one-year inspection certificate at the Downtown Campus, or an assembly or machining job followed by an internal move once you know the parts.
How much do quality inspectors make in Tucson?
Estimates run about $18 to $22 an hour at entry level, $22 to $28 with experience and $28 to $36 for senior inspectors and CMM programmers. Raytheon's union starting wage for inspectors is $22.66 an hour.
Do Tucson quality inspector jobs require a security clearance?
At Raytheon, yes: inspectors need U.S. citizenship and an active or interim Secret clearance, plus an ATF clearance. Sargent Aerospace & Defense requires U.S. citizenship, and Edmund Optics requires citizenship or permanent residence. The Rain Bird inspector posting reviewed for this guide did not list a clearance.
What is the difference between quality inspection and quality engineering?
An inspector measures parts and decides pass or fail. A quality engineer designs the inspection plan, investigates root causes, handles supplier corrective actions and owns the quality system. In Tucson the jump to engineering usually requires a degree.
Ready to apply? Browse all quality inspector jobs in Tucson, AZ on TucsonHIRED and apply today.