Home › Construction and Extraction Occupations › Construction and Building Inspectors

Construction and Building Inspectors salary in the U.S.

Construction and Building Inspectors in the U.S. earn a median of $74,690 a year ($35.91 an hour), based on BLS data for 146,720 workers.

Median salary
$74,690
Hourly
$35.91
Average
$77,730
Top 10% earn
$114,200
Workers
146,720

Pay ranges from $47,140 for the lowest-paid 10% to $114,200 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $77,730, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.

Pay range for construction and building inspectors in the U.S.

$0$120,000
Pay levelYearlyHourly
10th percentile (entry level)$47,140$22.66
25th percentile$58,860$28.30
Median$74,690$35.91
75th percentile$94,710$45.54
90th percentile (top earners)$114,200$54.91
Average (mean)$77,730$37.37

Half of construction and building inspectors earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.

Median paycheck, before taxes

Pay periodAmount
Monthly$6,224.17
Semi-monthly (24 a year)$3,112.08
Biweekly (26 a year)$2,872.69
Weekly$1,436.35
Hourly$35.91

Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.

Construction and Building Inspectors salary by state

StateMedian salaryWorkers
Alaska$102,410270
California$101,29013,420
Connecticut$98,6701,430
Washington$96,1403,090
Minnesota$88,6701,390
District of Columbia$86,200370
Oregon$84,5101,780
Massachusetts$83,2004,290
New Jersey$81,7605,950
Colorado$79,9503,700
New York$79,46011,160
Hawaii$79,320710
North Dakota$78,570180
Illinois$78,3402,560
Rhode Island$77,420270
Maryland$76,6402,780
Montana$75,700290
Virginia$75,6606,550
Wisconsin$75,6101,270
Nevada$75,2901,780
Maine$74,670710
Ohio$74,4903,490
Utah$74,1301,240
Arizona$73,4403,330
Delaware$72,700570
Iowa$71,6301,140
Michigan$71,0403,090
Louisiana$68,2601,440
Florida$68,17013,860
Vermont$66,580120
North Carolina$66,0806,490
Georgia$65,9804,510
Pennsylvania$65,8705,320
New Hampshire$65,640420
New Mexico$65,420800
Nebraska$65,000570
South Dakota$64,940200
Texas$64,81018,230
West Virginia$64,000540
Idaho$63,5701,000
Kansas$63,150840
Missouri$62,9701,640
Indiana$62,8502,110
Wyoming$61,870370
Alabama$61,3001,420
Kentucky$60,2001,380
Tennessee$59,8702,500
Oklahoma$59,2802,090
South Carolina$58,8402,500
Arkansas$52,700800
Guam$51,71040
Mississippi$50,250800
Puerto Rico$44,320740

Best-paying metro areas for construction and building inspectors

Metro areaMedian salaryWorkers
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$129,750860
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$125,1302,380
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$112,550210
Vallejo, CA$108,180190
Anchorage, AK$106,780160
Napa, CA$106,41050
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$103,9801,060
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$102,8301,640
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT$102,130110
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$102,060140
Stockton-Lodi, CA$101,340130
Salinas, CA$100,83090
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$100,2803,870
Yuba City, CA$100,24040
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$99,620750

Metro areas with the most construction and building inspectors

Metro areaWorkersMedian salary
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ10,340$90,800
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX5,450$69,020
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX4,980$66,780
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL4,380$76,610
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV4,060$80,150
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA3,870$100,280
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA3,020$72,410
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH2,950$84,620
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD2,900$75,710
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ2,460$76,650
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA2,380$125,130
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO2,300$82,020
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN1,840$82,640
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL1,820$66,220
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC1,760$75,570

Related jobs in the U.S.

JobMedian salaryHourly
Highway Maintenance Worker$50,260$24.16
Hazardous Materials Removal Worker$49,450$23.78
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners$49,880$23.98
Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers$49,910$24.00
Fence Erector$47,980$23.07
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers$109,910$52.84
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators$70,070$33.69
Construction Laborer$47,120$22.66
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$79,920$38.42
Electrician$63,190$30.38
Carpenter$60,580$29.12
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850$28.78
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$63,800$30.67
Painters, Construction and Maintenance$49,400$23.75

More: Construction and Extraction Occupations

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 47-4011. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a construction and building inspectors make in the U.S.?

The median salary for construction and building inspectors in the U.S. is $74,690 a year, or $35.91 an hour. Pay ranges from $47,140 for the lowest-paid 10% to $114,200 for the top 10%.

How much do the highest-paid construction and building inspectors make in the U.S.?

The top 10% of construction and building inspectors in the U.S. earn at least $114,200 a year. The top 25% earn $94,710 or more.

What is the starting pay for construction and building inspectors in the U.S.?

Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $47,140 a year, and a quarter of construction and building inspectors earn $58,860 or less.

How many construction and building inspectors work in the U.S.?

About 146,720 construction and building inspectors are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.