Key Factors That Influence Building Inspector Salaries
A Building Inspector's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Building Inspector Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Building Inspector's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $60,384
Early Career (1-2 years): $61,123
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $62,849
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $63,194
Expert (over 8 years): $63,424
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Building Inspector
$60,384
Intermediate Level Building Inspector
$61,123
Senior Level Building Inspector
$62,849
Specialist Level Building Inspector
$63,194
Expert Level Building Inspector
$63,424
$60,3840 yr
$61,123< 2 yrs
$62,8492-4 yrs
$63,1945-8 yrs
$63,424> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Building Inspector Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Building Inspectors.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $76,804
San Francisco: $75,963
Oakland: $74,363
San Jose, CA$76,804
San Francisco, CA$75,963
Oakland, CA$74,363
New York, NY$70,112
Paramus, NJ$69,259
Queens Village, NY$69,256
Passaic, NJ$69,198
Bergenfield, NJ$69,193
Stamford, CT$69,059
Huntington, NY$69,034
Newark, NJ$68,584
Bridgeport, CT$68,455
Vallejo, CA$68,334
New Brunswick, NJ$68,310
Petaluma, CA$68,273
Middlesex, NJ$68,158
Somerset, NJ$68,115
Santa Cruz, CA$68,036
Boston, MA$67,664
Monterey, CA$67,451
Seattle, WA$67,311
Santa Rosa, CA$67,299
Los Angeles, CA$67,281
Juneau, AK$67,122
Washington, DC$67,055
Orange, CA$66,839
Santa Ana, CA$66,678
Long Beach, CA$66,617
Anaheim, CA$66,605
Anchorage, AK$66,574
Santa Maria, CA$66,392
Everett, WA$66,379
Danbury, CT$66,165
Bremerton, WA$66,081
Tacoma, WA$65,862
New Suffolk, NY$65,861
Sacramento, CA$65,844
Santa Barbara, CA$65,777
Trenton, NJ$65,710
San Diego, CA$65,710
Brockton, MA$65,643
Fairbanks, AK$65,493
Lompoc, CA$65,338
Lowell, MA$65,289
Ventura, CA$65,277
Nashua, NH$65,265
Stockton, CA$65,259
Modesto, CA$64,815
Poughkeepsie, NY$64,681
Olympia, WA$64,565
Kennewick, WA$64,565
New Haven, CT$64,540
Lawrence, MA$64,321
Hartford, CT$64,260
Riverside, CA$64,248
New Bedford, MA$64,187
Richland, WA$64,187
Bakersfield, CA$64,102
San Bernardino, CA$64,078
New Britain, CT$64,072
Atlantic City, NJ$64,072
New London, CT$64,047
Norwich, CT$64,029
Portsmouth, NH$64,017
Boulder, CO$63,888
Portland, OR$63,804
Worcester, MA$63,798
Minneapolis, MN$63,609
Philadelphia, PA$63,524
Honolulu, HI$63,323
Saint Paul, MN$63,293
Vineland, NJ$63,280
Providence, RI$63,103
Chicago, IL$62,927
Bellingham, WA$62,854
Springfield, MA$62,805
Baltimore, MD$62,787
Chico, CA$62,635
Pittsfield, MA$62,470
Manchester, NH$62,354
Spokane, WA$62,087
Denver, CO$62,080
Albany, NY$61,794
Troy, NY$61,770
Nassau, NY$61,705
Schenectady, NY$61,642
Wilmington, DE$61,593
Burlington, VT$61,508
Salem, OR$61,484
Portland, ME$61,295
Yakima, WA$61,234
Rochester, MN$61,045
Reno, NV$61,015
Fresno, CA$61,015
Milwaukee, WI$60,960
Detroit, MI$60,899
Ann Arbor, MI$60,889
Allentown, PA$60,881
Colorado Springs, CO$60,777
Syracuse, NY$60,747
Carson City, NV$60,747
Houston, TX$60,662
Eugene, OR$60,631
Gary, IN$60,558
Springfield, OR$60,509
Bismarck, ND$60,497
Galveston, TX$60,455
Medford, OR$60,363
Fort Collins, CO$60,339
Concord, NH$60,308
Austin, TX$60,290
Mesa, AZ$60,162
Reading, PA$60,156
Phoenix, AZ$60,150
Dallas, TX$60,132
Saint Cloud, MN$60,073
Madison, WI$59,992
Utica, NY$59,827
Rochester, NY$59,730
Des Moines, IA$59,724
Raleigh, NC$59,718
Atlanta, GA$59,626
Battle Creek, MI$59,608
Salt Lake City, UT$59,590
Lancaster, PA$59,499
Harrisburg, PA$59,413
Kansas City, MO$59,352
Champaign, IL$59,340
Kansas City, KS$59,340
Fort Worth, TX$59,334
Columbus, OH$59,324
Boca Raton, FL$59,310
Pittsburgh, PA$59,285
Richmond, VA$59,261
Indianapolis, IN$59,249
Cleveland, OH$59,243
Las Vegas, NV$59,170
Cincinnati, OH$59,170
Petersburg, VA$59,078
Huntsville, AL$58,987
Lansing, MI$58,946
Lebanon, PA$58,938
Pueblo, CO$58,932
Appleton, WI$58,914
Buffalo, NY$58,890
Dayton, OH$58,871
Racine, WI$58,859
Charlotte, NC$58,853
Saint Louis, MO$58,835
York, PA$58,798
Elkhart, IN$58,798
Gastonia, NC$58,787
Billings, MT$58,772
Beaumont, TX$58,756
Lorain, OH$58,743
Benton Harbor, MI$58,731
Toledo, OH$58,719
Binghamton, NY$58,689
Rock Hill, SC$58,683
Rockford, IL$58,652
Springfield, IL$58,628
Elyria, OH$58,622
Fargo, ND$58,622
Flagstaff, AZ$58,579
Fort Lauderdale, FL$58,543
Duluth, MN$58,506
Miami, FL$58,506
Cheyenne, WY$58,463
Grand Forks, ND$58,463
Bangor, ME$58,329
Cedar Rapids, IA$58,262
Durham, NC$58,237
Louisville, KY$58,232
Grand Rapids, MI$58,220
Hialeah, FL$58,214
Casper, WY$58,128
Scranton, PA$58,055
New Orleans, LA$58,037
Virginia Beach, VA$58,031
Akron, OH$58,001
Peoria, IL$57,921
Sarasota, FL$57,909
Nashville, TN$57,867
Omaha, NE$57,867
Green Bay, WI$57,867
Baton Rouge, LA$57,836
Charleston, SC$57,824
Jamestown, NY$57,794
Davenport, IA$57,794
Tucson, AZ$57,763
Saint Petersburg, FL$57,727
Tampa, FL$57,714
Evansville, IN$57,678
Port Arthur, TX$57,678
Bradenton, FL$57,653
Santa Fe, NM$57,544
Orlando, FL$57,434
Clearwater, FL$57,416
Canton, OH$57,288
La Crosse, WI$57,288
Albuquerque, NM$57,252
Newport News, VA$57,246
High Point, NC$57,227
Ogden, UT$57,203
Corpus Christi, TX$57,154
Norfolk, VA$57,118
Laramie, WY$57,118
Rock Island, IL$57,081
Saginaw, MI$57,069
Jacksonville, FL$57,063
Salisbury, NC$57,051
Boise, ID$57,038
Moline, IL$57,008
Fort Myers, FL$56,990
Memphis, TN$56,978
Tulsa, OK$56,947
Waterloo, IA$56,911
Spartanburg, SC$56,850
Lincoln, NE$56,819
Fort Wayne, IN$56,807
Provo, UT$56,801
Cedar Falls, IA$56,728
San Antonio, TX$56,704
Greensboro, NC$56,679
South Bend, IN$56,673
Savannah, GA$56,606
Muskegon, MI$56,582
Birmingham, AL$56,576
Winston Salem, NC$56,546
Lake Charles, LA$56,399
Anderson, IN$56,387
Lexington, KY$56,369
Augusta, GA$56,350
Greenville, SC$56,350
Lima, OH$56,302
Wichita, KS$56,296
Tuscaloosa, AL$56,296
Columbia, SC$56,241
Springfield, OH$56,229
Asheville, NC$56,131
Bloomington, IN$56,089
Knoxville, TN$55,869
Shreveport, LA$55,863
Wilmington, NC$55,784
Roanoke, VA$55,784
Topeka, KS$55,674
Frankfort, KY$55,668
Oklahoma City, OK$55,626
Chillicothe, OH$55,601
Longview, TX$55,595
Melbourne, FL$55,589
Sioux Falls, SD$55,492
Mobile, AL$55,486
Terre Haute, IN$55,461
Altoona, PA$55,425
Amarillo, TX$55,382
Killeen, TX$55,364
Fayetteville, AR$55,315
Chattanooga, TN$55,297
Sioux City, IA$55,242
Idaho Falls, ID$55,230
Lynchburg, VA$55,181
Gainesville, FL$55,102
Portsmouth, OH$55,072
Little Rock, AR$55,059
Lafayette, LA$55,035
Youngstown, OH$55,035
Daytona Beach, FL$54,999
Clarksville, TN$54,992
Pensacola, FL$54,986
Temple, TX$54,982
Hopkinsville, KY$54,804
Erie, PA$54,792
Florence, SC$54,767
Charleston, WV$54,670
Great Falls, MT$54,639
Macon, GA$54,554
Tallahassee, FL$54,548
Fayetteville, NC$54,536
Waco, TX$54,524
Helena, MT$54,481
Pine Bluff, AR$54,458
Vincennes, IN$54,384
Lubbock, TX$54,359
Alamogordo, NM$54,323
Twin Falls, ID$54,268
Rapid City, SD$54,250
Jackson, MS$54,140
Huntington, WV$54,136
Greenville, MS$54,134
Parkersburg, WV$54,072
Montgomery, AL$54,061
Wichita Falls, TX$54,000
Springfield, MO$54,000
Biloxi, MS$53,969
Monroe, LA$53,909
Johnstown, PA$53,866
Sumter, SC$53,842
Columbus, GA$53,836
Pascagoula, MS$53,720
Abilene, TX$53,720
Kingsport, TN$53,561
Albany, GA$53,561
Gulfport, MS$53,543
Alexandria, LA$53,342
Fort Smith, AR$53,190
El Paso, TX$53,026
Las Cruces, NM$52,752
Harlingen, TX$52,597
Pocatello, ID$52,587
Florence, AL$52,508
Brownsville, TX$52,496
Mcallen, TX$52,368
Dothan, AL$52,283
Columbus, MS$51,921
Altus, OK$51,637
Lawton, OK$51,522
Pierre, SD$51,302
What Skills Can Increase a Building Inspector's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Attention to Detail (Mentioned in 3.83% Job Postings): Executing and completing a task with a high level of accuracy.
API (Mentioned in 3.38% Job Postings): An application programming interface is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software.
Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 2.4% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Attention to Detail
3.83%
API
3.38%
Microsoft Office
2.4%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Building Inspector's salary.
Oral Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Construction Management: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Oral Communication
$65,764
8%
Construction Management
$65,764
8%
Presentation
$65,764
8%
Purchasing
$65,156
7%
Project Management
$65,156
7%
Innovation
$65,156
7%
Get Latest Data
Building Inspector Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Building Inspector salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $66,239.
While startup companies pay approximate $56,116.
Building Inspector Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$56,116
Growth Stage
51~500
$59,325
Established
501~5000
$63,997
Enterprise
5000+
$66,239
Building Inspector Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Building Inspector roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 55% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Energy & Utilities and Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Building Inspector positions in Retail & Wholesale or Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Building Inspector as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Building Inspector
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities
$76,116
$37.0
25%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$66,982
$32.0
10%
Construction
$63,938
$31.0
5%
How Education impacts a Building Inspector's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Building Inspectors enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Building Inspector with a Associate's Degree is between
$60,178
and $64,902).
Building Inspector Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Building Inspector
No Diploma0.6%
High School46.3%
Associates18.3%
Bachelors31.1%
Masters2.4%
Doctorate1.2%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
0.6%
High School
46.3%
Associates
18.3%
Bachelors
31.1%
Masters
2.4%
Doctorate
1.2%
view as graph
Building Inspector Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Building Inspector's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Building Inspector can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $53,684 in 2023
to around $53,317 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Building Inspector salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Building Inspector Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$53,684
2024
$53,812
2025
$53,317
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$53,684
2024
$53,812
2025
$53,317
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Building Inspector
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.
Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Building Inspector
Here are companies hiring for Building Inspector and their salaries, click below for more details.
K
$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLP
Business Services
the United States
W
$114,096/per year
Warner Bros Discovery
Business Services
the United States
D
$111,927/per year
Dentsu International Ltd
Business Services
the United States
G
$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide Inc
Business Services
the United States
C
$111,651/per year
CoWorx Staffing
Business Services
the United States
C
$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services Corp
Business Services
the United States
S
$107,128/per year
Showcase Cinemas
Business Services
the United States
A
$106,429/per year
Amentum Services Inc
Business Services
the United States
A
$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLC
Business Services
the United States
S
$106,104/per year
Sodexo USA
Business Services
the United States
J
$105,192/per year
JLL Technologies
Business Services
the United States
I
$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLC
Business Services
the United States
N
$101,619/per year
NielsenIQ
Business Services
the United States
T
$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge Alliance
Business Services
the United States
H
$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOP
Business Services
the United States
R
$97,720/per year
Reeve & Associates
Business Services
the United States
M
$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global Inc
Business Services
the United States
F
$95,980/per year
Financial Sys Nco
Business Services
the United States
A
$95,314/per year
Arrow Global Ltd
Business Services
the United States
C
$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLC
Business Services
the United States
D
$94,479/per year
DZConneX
Business Services
the United States
A
$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USA
Business Services
the United States
R
$92,937/per year
Resource MFG
Business Services
the United States
Z
$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands Inc
Business Services
the United States
G
$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLC
Business Services
the United States
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Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
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FAQ about Building Inspector
1. Where can a Building Inspector earn the most?
A Building Inspector's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer.
According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Building Inspector earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Building Inspector is $76,804.
2. What is the highest pay for Building Inspector?
The highest pay for Building Inspector is $75,617.
3. What is the lowest pay for Building Inspector?
The lowest pay for Building Inspector is $47,856.
4. What are the responsibilities of Building Inspector?
Inspects various building structures to ensure safety and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. Documents inspection results and details violations and corrective actions required for compliance. Issues warnings, citations, or notices to comply and revisits violation sites to verify issues have been resolved. Investigates complaints about potential code violations such as illegal structures or zoning violations. Maintains technical knowledge and a deep understanding of structural quality, building codes and standards, and electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. Requires a high school diploma. Requires Building Inspection Certification. Typically reports to a supervisor. Works independently within established procedures associated with the specific job function. Has gained proficiency in multiple competencies relevant to the job. Typically requires 3-5 years of related experience.
5. What industry pays the highest salary for Building Inspector?
The Energy & Utilities industry offers the highest average compensation for Building Inspector roles,
with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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