SOC 47-4011.00

    Construction and Building Inspectors

    Inspect structures using engineering skills to determine structural soundness and compliance with specifications, building codes, and other regulations.

    Median pay
    $74,690
    Growth
    0.0%
    Little or no change
    Openings a year
    14,800
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $47,140
    Median
    $74,690
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $114,200
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    146,720 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Construction and building inspectors examine structures to ensure they are safe and follow all building codes and regulations. In 2025, these professionals earned a median annual pay of $74,690.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What construction and building inspectors do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    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.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career, also known as building inspectors or architectural examiners, evaluate structures to confirm they are sound and compliant with specifications. Their daily activities center on inspecting equipment, structures, or materials, and getting information to evaluate compliance with standards. They must document their findings and communicate with supervisors, peers, and people outside the organization, such as contractors or property owners.

    This role is a strong fit for individuals with realistic interests who enjoy practical, hands-on work. Success in this field requires skills like reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, and complex problem solving. Inspectors must apply knowledge of building and construction, public safety, design, and government regulations. They rely on work styles such as attention to detail, cautiousness, dependability, and integrity to perform their duties safely and accurately.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, candidates typically need a high school diploma, though the occupation generally requires medium preparation, such as vocational training, an associate degree, or related work experience. Students can prepare by pursuing college majors in building/construction finishing, management, and inspection.

    Some states list a license for this work. Additionally, professionals can earn various industry certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Examples of these credentials include the Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner, Building Plans Examiner, and Certified Building Official certifications from the International Code Council. Other options include the ASHI Certified Inspector credential from the American Society of Home Inspectors, the Building Analyst certification from the Building Performance Institute, and the Certified Electrical Inspector - Residential credential from the International Association of Electrical Inspectors.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for construction and building inspectors was $74,690 in 2025. The lowest 10% of earners in this field made less than $47,140, while the highest 10% earned more than $114,200.

    Between 2025 and 2035, employment for these 146,720 workers is projected to show 0% change, meaning there will be little or no change in the total number of jobs. Despite this flat growth, the field is still expected to offer 14,800 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    86 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    52 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    4 / 100
    Social (S)
    8 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    19 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    74 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    86
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    82
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    82
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    82
    Documenting/Recording Information
    79
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    79
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    76
    Working with Computers
    76
    Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
    73
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    73
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension
    • Critical Thinking
    • Active Listening
    • Speaking
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Systems Evaluation
    • Time Management
    • Active Learning
    • Persuasion

    Knowledge

    • Building and Construction
    • Public Safety and Security
    • English Language
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Design
    • Law and Government
    • Mathematics
    • Administration and Management
    • Mechanical
    • Administrative

    Abilities

    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Oral Expression
    • Written Comprehension
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Leadership Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Self-Confidence
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance

    Also called

    Amusement Ride Inspector · Architectural Examiner · Architectural Inspector · Boiler Inspector · Bridge Inspector · Building Code Administrator · Building Code Inspector · Building Equipment Inspector · Building Inspector · Building Official

    Career pathway

    From your interests to construction and building inspectors

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Construction and Building Inspectors$74,690 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Utah Valley University

      Orem, UT · Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $82,443
      4 yrs after
      $97,793
      Median debt
      $11,042
    2. 2The University of Texas at San Antonio logo
      The University of Texas at San Antonio

      San Antonio, TX · Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $74,627
      4 yrs after
      $90,691
      Median debt
      $17,750
    3. 3Tuskegee University logo
      Tuskegee University

      Tuskegee, AL · Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $74,054
      4 yrs after
      $87,107
      Median debt
      Not reported
    4. 4
      Pennsylvania College of Technology

      Williamsport, PA · Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $69,819
      4 yrs after
      $74,310
      Median debt
      $27,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What construction and building inspectors may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work. Showing 12 of 35.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    42 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Federal

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about construction and building inspectors

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    Workers in this field may be called building code administrators, bridge inspectors, boiler inspectors, or amusement ride inspectors, depending on their specific focus.

    What kind of skills are most important for building inspectors?

    Inspectors need strong reading comprehension, critical thinking, speaking, and active listening skills. They also use complex problem solving, judgment, and time management to evaluate structures and explain regulations to others.

    Are there specific certifications available for this occupation?

    Yes, several organizations offer certifications, such as the International Code Council, the American Society of Home Inspectors, the Building Performance Institute, and the International Association of Electrical Inspectors.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.