Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 47-4011

Construction and Building Inspectors

The published band from $47,140 to $114,200 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Construction and Building Inspectors: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($110K) , Electricians ($63K) , Tapers ($68K) , Roof Bolters, Mining ($79K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Construction and Building Inspectors publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-4011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Approve building plans that meet required specifications
  2. 2. Review and interpret plans, blueprints, site layouts, specifications, or construction methods to ensure compliance to legal requirements…
  3. 3. Issue permits for construction, relocation, demolition, or occupancy
  4. 4. Inspect bridges, dams, highways, buildings, wiring, plumbing, electrical circuits, sewers, heating systems, or foundations during and aft…
  5. 5. Monitor installation of plumbing, wiring, equipment, or appliances to ensure that installation is performed properly and is in compliance…
  6. 6. Inspect and monitor construction sites to ensure adherence to safety standards, building codes, or specifications
  7. 7. Confer with owners, violators, or authorities to explain regulations or recommend remedial actions
  8. 8. Measure dimensions and verify level, alignment, or elevation of structures or fixtures to ensure compliance to building plans and codes
  9. 9. Maintain daily logs and supplement inspection records with photographs
  10. 10. Conduct inspections, using survey instruments, metering devices, tape measures, or test equipment
  11. 11. Train, direct, or supervise other construction inspectors
  12. 12. Monitor construction activities to ensure that environmental regulations are not violated

Construction and Building Inspectors: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-4011 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.9
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.8
  4. 4. Speaking 3.8
  5. 5. Complex Problem Solving 3.4
  6. 6. Judgment and Decision Making 3.4
  7. 7. Systems Evaluation 3.3
  8. 8. Time Management 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 4.7
  2. 2. Public Safety and Security 4.0
  3. 3. English Language 4.0
  4. 4. Customer and Personal Service 3.6
  5. 5. Design 3.5
  6. 6. Law and Government 3.5
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$47,140 to $114,200
median $74,690 · ~2.4× spread
$75K
National median
↓ -1%
Growth 2024-2034
14,800
Annual openings
146,720
Estimated US jobs
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $110K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Related experience 5 years or more

Top Paying States for Construction and Building Inspectors

1. Colorado $79,950
2. New Jersey $81,760
3. Minnesota $88,670
4. Massachusetts $83,200
5. Connecticut $98,670
6. Alaska $102,410
7. Oregon $84,510
8. California $101,290
9. District of Columbia $86,200
10. Washington $96,140

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Tapers $68,270
  2. 2. Electricians $63,190
  3. 3. Roof Bolters, Mining $78,540
  4. 4. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500
  5. 5. Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $109,910
  6. 6. Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators $70,070

The OEWS band for Construction and Building Inspectors runs from $47,140 (10th) to $114,200 (90th), about 2.4× wide, with median $74,690. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect -1% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 14,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry and 5 years or more as the typical related-work-experience category. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Colorado at $79,950. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers at $109,910. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Construction and Building Inspectors pay-rank #6 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Among 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations with a published OEWS median, Construction and Building Inspectors is pay-rank #6, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Construction and Building Inspectors is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Construction and Building Inspectors salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-4011

Colorado · top state for Construction and Building Inspectors

$80K published median

New Jersey · #2 state pay

$82K · behind Colorado

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Construction and Building Inspectors · $110K

Electricians

Lower-pay peer beside Construction and Building Inspectors · $63K

Compare Construction and Building Inspectors

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Construction and Building Inspectors with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Construction and Extraction Occupations titles sit near Construction and Building Inspectors at the top of the pay table? ▼
Construction and Building Inspectors is pay-rank #6 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining ($75K), Pile Driver Operators ($73K), Terrazzo Workers and Finishers ($76K), Boilermakers ($76K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do construction and building inspectors do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Construction and Building Inspectors. Leading ones include: Approve building plans that meet required specifications; Review and interpret plans, blueprints, site layouts, specifications, or construction methods to ensure compliance to legal requirements…; Issue permits for construction, relocation, demolition, or occupancy; Inspect bridges, dams, highways, buildings, wiring, plumbing, electrical circuits, sewers, heating systems, or foundations during and aft…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for construction and building inspectors? ▼
For SOC 47-4011, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Critical Thinking (3.9), Active Listening (3.8), Speaking (3.8). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Public Safety and Security, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Construction and Building Inspectors? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $47,140 and the 90th at $114,200 for Construction and Building Inspectors (2.4× spread). The national median is $74,690. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Construction and Building Inspectors? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Construction and Building Inspectors is -1%. Projected annual openings: about 14,800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Construction and Building Inspectors? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Construction and Building Inspectors. Related-work-experience category: 5 years or more. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Construction and Building Inspectors? ▼
Colorado ($79,950), New Jersey ($81,760), Minnesota ($88,670) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Construction and Building Inspectors card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-4011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Construction and Building Inspectors. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics