Construction and Building Inspectors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for construction and building inspectorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$103,850
- Alaska$102,330
- Connecticut$97,580
- Washington$93,070
- District of Columbia$93,030
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$55,760
- Arkansas$57,710
- South Carolina$60,040
- Tennessee$61,410
- Wyoming$61,510
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $103,850 | $101,290 | $50 | +33.6% | 13,420 |
| 2 | Alaska | $102,330 | $102,410 | $49 | +31.6% | 270 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $97,580 | $98,670 | $47 | +25.5% | 1,430 |
| 4 | Washington | $93,070 | $96,140 | $45 | +19.7% | 3,090 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $93,030 | $86,200 | $45 | +19.7% | 370 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $90,440 | $88,670 | $43 | +16.4% | 1,390 |
| 7 | Oregon | $87,080 | $84,510 | $42 | +12% | 1,780 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $86,940 | $83,200 | $42 | +11.8% | 4,290 |
| 9 | New York | $86,600 | $79,460 | $42 | +11.4% | 11,160 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $86,370 | $81,760 | $42 | +11.1% | 5,950 |
| 11 | Colorado | $83,300 | $79,950 | $40 | +7.2% | 3,700 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $80,850 | $77,420 | $39 | +4% | 270 |
| 13 | Illinois | $80,320 | $78,340 | $39 | +3.3% | 2,560 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $79,900 | $79,320 | $38 | +2.8% | 710 |
| 15 | Maryland | $79,670 | $76,640 | $38 | +2.5% | 2,780 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $78,490 | $78,570 | $38 | +1% | 180 |
| 17 | Arizona | $78,380 | $73,440 | $38 | +0.8% | 3,330 |
| 18 | Nevada | $78,320 | $75,290 | $38 | +0.8% | 1,780 |
| 19 | Virginia | $76,220 | $75,660 | $37 | -1.9% | 6,550 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $75,490 | $75,610 | $36 | -2.9% | 1,270 |
| 21 | Montana | $75,210 | $75,700 | $36 | -3.2% | 290 |
| 22 | Maine | $75,140 | $74,670 | $36 | -3.3% | 710 |
| 23 | Ohio | $74,770 | $74,490 | $36 | -3.8% | 3,490 |
| 24 | Utah | $73,580 | $74,130 | $35 | -5.3% | 1,240 |
| 25 | Delaware | $72,940 | $72,700 | $35 | -6.2% | 570 |
| 26 | Michigan | $71,550 | $71,040 | $34 | -8% | 3,090 |
| 27 | Idaho | $71,410 | $63,570 | $34 | -8.1% | 1,000 |
| 28 | Florida | $71,350 | $68,170 | $34 | -8.2% | 13,860 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $71,070 | $68,260 | $34 | -8.6% | 1,440 |
| 30 | Iowa | $71,050 | $71,630 | $34 | -8.6% | 1,140 |
| 31 | Georgia | $70,960 | $65,980 | $34 | -8.7% | 4,510 |
| 32 | Vermont | $70,850 | $66,580 | $34 | -8.9% | 120 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $70,180 | $65,420 | $34 | -9.7% | 800 |
| 34 | Texas | $69,810 | $64,810 | $34 | -10.2% | 18,230 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $69,540 | $65,870 | $33 | -10.5% | 5,320 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $69,070 | $66,080 | $33 | -11.1% | 6,490 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $68,820 | $65,640 | $33 | -11.5% | 420 |
| 38 | Kansas | $68,210 | $63,150 | $33 | -12.2% | 840 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $68,180 | $64,000 | $33 | -12.3% | 540 |
| 40 | Indiana | $67,530 | $62,850 | $32 | -13.1% | 2,110 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $67,260 | $64,940 | $32 | -13.5% | 200 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $67,100 | $65,000 | $32 | -13.7% | 570 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $66,580 | $60,200 | $32 | -14.3% | 1,380 |
| 44 | Missouri | $65,140 | $62,970 | $31 | -16.2% | 1,640 |
| 45 | Alabama | $64,130 | $61,300 | $31 | -17.5% | 1,420 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $63,610 | $59,280 | $31 | -18.2% | 2,090 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $61,510 | $61,870 | $30 | -20.9% | 370 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $61,410 | $59,870 | $30 | -21% | 2,500 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $60,040 | $58,840 | $29 | -22.8% | 2,500 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $57,710 | $52,700 | $28 | -25.8% | 800 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $55,760 | $50,250 | $27 | -28.3% | 800 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 456 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $129,750 | $124,420 | 860 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $125,130 | $123,300 | 2,380 |
| 3 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $112,550 | $116,130 | 210 |
| 4 | Vallejo, CA | $108,180 | $106,740 | 190 |
| 5 | Anchorage, AK | $106,780 | $104,090 | 160 |
| 6 | Napa, CA | $106,410 | $102,640 | 50 |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $103,980 | $104,680 | 1,060 |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,830 | $96,490 | 1,640 |
| 9 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $102,130 | $96,980 | 110 |
| 10 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $102,060 | $110,080 | 140 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing construction and building inspectorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $115,310 | $109,190 | 170 |
| 2 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $107,460 | $106,800 | 2,480 |
| 3 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $107,090 | $104,660 | 60 |
| 4 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $107,090 | $104,660 | 60 |
| 5 | Natural Gas Distribution | $105,630 | $108,230 | 1,480 |
| 6 | Utilities | $105,310 | $105,630 | 4,150 |
| 7 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $105,310 | $105,630 | 4,150 |
| 8 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $102,810 | $104,190 | — |
| 9 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $102,810 | $104,190 | — |
| 10 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $102,590 | $100,270 | 800 |
| 11 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $102,590 | $100,270 | 800 |
| 12 | Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises | $102,590 | $100,270 | 800 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do construction and building inspectors make in the U.S.?
The median construction and building inspectors salary in the United States is $74,690 per year (mean $77,730), and about 80% earn between $47,140 and $114,200.
How much do construction and building inspectors make per hour?
Roughly $37 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $77,730 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays construction and building inspectors the most?
California has the highest average pay for construction and building inspectors at $103,850 per year (median $101,290).
What is the job outlook for construction and building inspectors?
Employment is projected to change -0.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 14,800 openings per year.