i wanna be a health inspector?

Question

what kind of degree do i have to get?
and what will i have to major in?

Answer 1

Here's a snippet from the minimum requirements for Environmental Health Specialist Level 1 at my agency:

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited* college, university, or educational institution approved by the State Department of Health Services or an educational institution of collegiate grade approved by the American Council on Education, which shall have included 30 semester or 45 quarter units of basic sciences, including a one semester course or quarter unit equivalent, including lecture and laboratory, in Chemistry, Physics, Biological Science, and Microbiology as well as a semester or quarter course in calculus or algebra.

Physical Class: 3 - Moderate:
Includes standing or walking most of the time, with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, and reaching; includes working on irregular surfaces, occasionally lifting objects weighting over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.
Licenses: A valid Driver License is required to carry out job-related essential functions.

Successful applicants for this examination will be required to obtain a copy of their driving record from the State Department of Motor Vehicles before being hired. A copy of your driving record must be presented at the time of your appointment. License must not be suspended, restricted or revoked. AN APPLICANT WHOSE DRIVING RECORD SHOWS FOUR OR MORE MOVING VIOLATIONS WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS WILL NOT BE APPOINTED.

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Health inspectors need to be experts on environmental health. You can get a college degree in environmental science or health. After that, you can complete a certificate program to become a Registered Environmental Health Specialist. Where I am, there's a rigorous 6 hour exam you have to take before you can become an inspector. It is NOT an easy test. You have to be able to look at a picture and spot violations (a lot of violations are subtle). You have to learn a lot of health code. And from that job description above, not only is your education important, you have to be in good health and have a CLEAN driving record.

There's more to health inspection than just restaurants. There's tattoo/piercing parlor inspection, vector (mosquito) control, pest (rats, possums, raccoons, etc.) control, occupational safety, and hospital inspection.

But I have gone on restaurant inspections. They are not easy. One kitchen can take 3 hours to inspect, and then you have to inspect the rest of the facility (another hour or two on top). You can't be squeamish. You can't take bribes (not even a bottle of water!!!) -- a tough prospect if you're inspecting a really high end place, and the food smells sooooo ... dang ...... GOOD!

Anyway, go to school, take the cert course, and apply. Good luck!