How To Become A Bridge Inspector: What It Is and Career Path

What is a bridge inspector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Also known as a civil engineer construction specialist, a Bridge Inspector assesses the conditions of bridges to ensure their safety for public use. You will be looking or inspecting damages from these bridges and other similar structures.

Of course, technical skills are needed as a Bridge Inspector. You need to be familiar with the load rating analysis system. You will monitor other activities related to construction in order to ensure that these activities meet the drawing, safety, and specification requirements.

As a Bridge Inspector, there are certain skills employers expect you to possess. For example, you are expected to have good communication skills, excellent craft experience, and you should also be extremely mindful of details.

With a job growth rate of 7%, you have the chance to earn an annual average salary of $39,893. You can also explore other careers like being a Senior Inspector or a Chief Inspector. If you think you are qualified for the job, you should definitely give this a try.

ScoreBridge InspectorUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,316

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%

Asian 3.39%

Black or African American 8.23%

Hispanic or Latino 12.94%

Unknown 5.74%

White 68.81%

Gender

female 5.79%

male 94.21%

Age - 52

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a bridge inspector

Explore bridge inspector education requirements

Most common bridge inspector degrees

Bachelor's

49.4 %

Associate

26.7 %

High School Diploma

8.5 %

Start to develop specific bridge inspector skills

Skills	Percentages
DOT	19.21%
Asphalt	14.14%
Construction Inspection	11.17%
ACI	9.21%
Highway Construction	6.32%

Complete relevant bridge inspector training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New bridge inspectors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a bridge inspector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real bridge inspector resumes.

Research bridge inspector duties and responsibilities

Coordinate, manage, and conduct geotechnical engineering and engineering geology subsurface investigations.
Create bridge rehabilitation drafts with AutoCAD, Civil3D.
Develop computer-aid drawings using AutoCAD.
Conduct safety-focused inspections to ensure licensee compliance with license provisions and NRC rules and regulations.

Prepare your bridge inspector resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your bridge inspector resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a bridge inspector resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable bridge inspector resume templates

Build a professional bridge inspector resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your bridge inspector resume.