There are many different careers in health inspection, and each of these careers may have its own requirements for the person who wants to become a health inspector. Most people may assume that a health inspector is someone who primarily is responsible for checking restaurants to be certain they are operating in a safe and hygienic manner, in accordance with state or country laws. Yet there are other jobs that may have the title of health inspector or environmental health specialist, and these include jobs where the main inspection would be of housing units, or environments that serve the public like public swimming pools, nursing homes, and day care centers. Some inspectors may be certified to investigate health and safety of more than one type of thing.

Some people are able to become a health inspector with a high school diploma and on the job training. They may have take to exams for which their job trains them or to apply for certification. Good communication skills are needed, since a health inspector often writes reports about findings. Therefore, in high school, people should be certain to focus on doing well in English classes.

While there are some people who can become a health inspector with a high school diploma, others may need extra education. Some A.A. degrees exist that focus on inspection in specific fields. More often, people may need to pursue bachelor's level training. In a few jobs, graduate work is needed so that inspector has enough training to truly spot any potential health hazards. Again this will depend on area in which people work. About a third of people who are inspectors possess only a high school diploma, and the rest have an A.A. degree or higher in their field.

Though this is not always a requirement, those wishing to become a health inspector also may need certification in their area of expertise. There are a number of certifying agencies in the US such as the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, the Indoor Air Quality Association, and The Council on Certification of Health, Environmental, and Safety Technologists. Since there are so many certifying agencies, it’s important to check with local agencies employing inspectors in the varied areas to see which certification is appropriate.

The person who wants to become a health inspector in most fields needs to train for their job and can best find out what training is needed by looking at requirements in each field. No matter what training exists, health inspectors often have to be prepared to be in environments that may not be healthy, and especially in government inspection capacity, they can deal with people who are upset that their places of work are under inspection. At other times, businesses or organizations fully comply with all requirements of safety laws.