person, wearing safety equipment, standing on a pile of metal debris, giving a thumbs up

Inspectors and testers, mineral and metal processing

(NOC 94104)
Annual Earnings
$59,600
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
High School Diploma
Job Openings
(2024-2034)
50

Career Overview

Inspectors and testers in this group:

  • Inspect, grade, sample or test raw materials and products from mineral ore and metal processing operations
  • Work in mineral ore and metal processing plants such as copper, lead and zinc refineries
  • Work in uranium processing plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, precious metal refineries, cement processing plants, clay, glass and stone processing plants and foundries

 

Job Titles

Abrasive and clay products grader
Abrasive wheel tester
Anode adjuster - primary metal processing
Asbestos classifier
Asbestos fibre inspector and tester
Asbestos grader
Asbestos shingle inspector
Brick and tile inspector
Brick and tile tester
Brick grader
Castings inspector - foundry
Castings tester - primary metal and mineral products processing
Cell tester - primary metal processing
Cement plant inspector
Clay products grader
Clay tile grader - mineral products processing
Coke inspector - primary metal processing
Coke sampler and tester - primary metal processing
Concrete products inspector
Concrete products tester
Core inspector - foundry
Core tester - foundry
Electrolytic cell tester - primary metal processing
Fibreglass tester
Finishing inspector - primary metal and mineral products processing
Foundry sand tester
Furnace combustion tester - primary metal processing
Glass container tester
Glass inspector
Glass quality control inspector
Glass tester
Gravel grader - mineral products processing
Hardness tester - primary metal processing
Heat treating inspector - metal processing
Ingots inspector - primary metal processing
Inspector - metal processing
Inspector - primary metal and mineral products processing
Iron pellet hardness tester - metal processing
Laminated asbestos products inspector
Metal processing inspector
Metal strength tester - primary metal processing
Metal tensile strength tester - primary metal processing
Mineral sampler - mineral products processing
Molten metal sampler - primary metal processing
Monument inspector - mineral products processing
Ore sampler - mineral products processing
Ore sample tester - mineral products processing
Physical tester - steel mill
Plasterboard inspector - mineral products processing
Pottery and porcelain ware inspector
Quality assurance inspector - steel mill
Salvage glass inspector
Sampler - primary metal and mineral products processing
Sample tester - primary metal and mineral products processing
Sheet and plate inspector - steel mill
Sheet steel inspector - primary metal processing
Steel inspector - primary metal processing
Steel sheet inspector - primary metal processing
Steel tester - primary metal processing
Stone inspector - mineral products processing
Stonework grader
Tester and inspector - primary metal and mineral products processing
Tin plate inspector and grader
Uranium ore evaluator
Wire products inspector
Wire tester and inspector - primary metal processing

Duties

Inspectors and testers perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Inspect mineral ore, metal, cement, glass, clay or concrete products at various stages of processing to make sure specifications are followed
  • Grade and label raw materials or finished products according to size, thickness, composition or other classification standards
  • Take samples of products during or after processing operation for routine analysis or for subsequent laboratory analysis
  • Test product for strength, density, durability and conformity to specification
  • Tell supervisor or process and machine operators about problems and product deficiencies
  • Complete inspection and test reports

 

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$59,600

Provincial Hourly Rate

HighNot available
MedianNot available
LowNot available
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2024 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

110

% Employed Full Time

68%
Source: 2021 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work takes place in a regular controlled indoor environment
  • Work also takes place in an indoor environment, such as a furnace room where temperatures or humidity may vary considerably
  • The workplace may contain flying or airborne particles from metal or minerals that may cause injury
  • Workers may be exposed to fire, steam or hot surfaces that can be hazardous
  • Noise in the workplace may cause distraction or hearing loss

 

Career Pathways

Career path information is currently not available.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Conventional
Conventional
Realistic
Realistic

Education, Training and Skills

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required
  • Experience as a machine or process operator in mineral and metal processing is usually required

 

Education programs in B.C.

EducationPlannerBC Logo
Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

68%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

56%
Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

56%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

53%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

53%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

53%
Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

53%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

50%
Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

50%
Time Management

Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

50%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

110
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 0 0.0%
Kootenay 0 0.0%
Mainland/Southwest 90 81.8%
North Coast and Nechako 0 0.0%
Northeast 0 0.0%
Thompson-Okanagan 10 9.1%
Vancouver Island/Coast 0 0.0%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)

50
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)

Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo Not available Not available
Kootenay Not available Not available
Mainland/Southwest 50 1.3%
North Coast and Nechako Not available Not available
Northeast Not available Not available
Thompson-Okanagan Not available Not available
Vancouver Island/Coast Not available Not available
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2024-2034)
Manufacturing40
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services10
Construction10
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.