$Who Earns What

How much does a building inspector make?

US Construction and Building Inspectors

Answer: A typical building inspector in the United States makes $74,690 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$74,690

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 147,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$47,140
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$74,690
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$114,200
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

50 of 100
more than half

Building inspector pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Building inspector pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$47,140$74,690$114,200about 147,000
States where building inspectors earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
California$101,290about 13,000
Connecticut$98,670about 1,000
Washington$96,140about 3,000
Minnesota$88,670about 1,000
Oregon$84,510about 2,000

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, inspectors with more construction experience, useful skills, or sought-after licenses and certifications may earn more. Pay can also differ by employer, location, and how complex the inspection work is.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$74,690
California$101,290
Connecticut$98,670
Washington$96,140
Minnesota$88,670
Oregon$84,510
South Carolina$58,840
Arkansas$52,700
Mississippi$50,250

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a building inspector do?

Inspect structures using engineering skills to determine structural soundness and compliance with specifications, building codes, and other regulations. Inspections may be general in nature or may be limited to a specific area, such as electrical systems or plumbing.

What's a typical day like?

They visit construction sites to check the work and tell builders what they find. Between visits, they review blueprints, write reports, and schedule inspections; some climb ladders or squeeze into tight spaces.

How to get this job

In the United States, building inspectors usually finish high school and gain five or more years of experience in a construction trade. They learn codes and inspection skills on the job, and some states or towns require a license or certification.

Vocational school or a few years' experience (preparation level 3 of 5)

Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.

Did you know?

Some U.S. building inspectors climb ladders or crawl into tight spaces to check a building.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY