Food & Dairy Inspector

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 09/08/2026 12:00AM Central Time

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 09/08/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Closing Date/Time 09/14/2026 11:59PM Central Time

Salary (Monthly) $3,631.00

Salary (Annually) $43,572.00

Job Type Full-Time

City, State Location Murfreesboro, TN

Department Agriculture

Education and Experience:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and two years of full time work experience in the planning of nutritional food programs for individuals or establishments, or any experience involved with adherence to proper hygiene or sanitation of food, dairy, water, or related environmental health issues, including but not limited to, (1) the inspection of agricultural or industrial establishments, commodities, or equipment;

(2) the training of retail staff who prepare food; (3) the proper storage and processing of food, dairy, or water commodities or (4) dairy farm work.

Substitution of Experience for

Education:

Qualifying experience in the planning of nutritional food programs for individuals or establishments, or any experience involved with adherence to proper hygiene or sanitation of food, dairy, water, or related environmental health issues may substitute for the required education on a year for year basis to a maximum of four years (e.g., experience equivalent to one year of full‑time work in one or a combination of the above listed fields may substitute for one year of the required education).

Necessary Special

Qualifications:

A valid vehicle operator's license may be required for employment in some positions.

Examination Method:
Education and Experience, 100%, for Preferred Service positions.

Under general supervision, is responsible for technical inspection and enforcement work of average difficulty involving food and dairy manufacturing, processing, and marketing laws and regulations; and performs related work as required.

This is the working level class for the Food and Dairy Inspector series. An employee in this class is responsible for inspecting and enforcing compliance with state and federal laws and regulations at food and dairy processing, manufacturing, wholesale, or retail establishments within a fixed geographic area of the state and may lead or assist in the training of lower level inspectors.

This class differs from that of Food and Dairy Inspector 1, in that an incumbent of the latter functions at an entry level capacity under immediate supervision. This class differs from that of a Food and Dairy Inspector 3 in that the latter functions at the advanced working level in inspections and enforcement of state and federal laws in the most complex food processing, manufacturing, wholesale, and retail sites, and specifically dairy processing plants.

NOTE:

Applicants may be appointed directly into this job classification or be promoted from the job title of Food and Dairy Inspector 1, without further examination, upon satisfactory completion of a mandatory two year probationary period.

• Evaluates procedures followed in the manufacture and processing of food and dairy products; inspects retail food stores, dairy farms, and food manufacturing and storage facilities; identifies public health concerns related to potential sources of food contamination; visually inspects vehicles, machines, and processing procedures; evaluates procedures to ensure rules and regulations are being met by testing product and measuring process times, temperatures, flow rates, and storage equipment procedures;
  
  performs follow-up inspections to assure identified infractions have been corrected; prepares and maintains inspection, activity, and expense reports; gathers background and operational data for planning purposes and for use in required federal reports; maintains current files of use of time, personnel actions and behaviors, and other reports related to each establishment.
• Collects food and water samples from bulk tanks, wells, springs, and re‑circulated cooler water systems using appropriate instruments; measures appropriate amount of product to ensure sufficient sample for testing; fills out forms and labels by marking and writing information such as sample description, time and date collected, method of…