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The differences between building inspectors and building officials can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a building inspector and a building official. Additionally, a building inspector has an average salary of $51,781, which is higher than the $46,398 average annual salary of a building official.
The top three skills for a building inspector include plumbing, customer service and building construction. The most important skills for a building official are community development, code compliance, and plumbing.
| Building Inspector | Building Official | |
| Yearly salary | $51,781 | $46,398 |
| Hourly rate | $24.89 | $22.31 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 20,962 | 4,912 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A building inspector is responsible for inspecting the safety and security of the building location, including its structural quality and construction documents. Building inspectors coordinate with landowners or institutions to verify code regulations compliance and submit work orders and permits. They also provide expense forecasting for development, identifying cost-reduction techniques by recommending trusted suppliers and third-party vendors on construction materials with the highest quality. A building inspector must have excellent communication and analytical skills, especially on negotiating contracts and processing occupation permits.
A building official has the authority to enforce building codes within their jurisdiction. Usually working for government agencies, a building official is in charge of conducting building inspections to determine if the construction complies with the safety standards and regulations. They may also approve or deny permit applications, review requirements, and verify documents. Moreover, a building official also has managerial office duties such as supervising and leading staff to reach goals, setting daily objectives and guidelines, establishing timelines, delegating responsibilities among teams, and implementing policies and regulations.
Building inspectors and building officials have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Building Inspector | Building Official | |
| Average salary | $51,781 | $46,398 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $84,000 | Between $24,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Riverside, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a building inspector and a building official in terms of educational background:
| Building Inspector | Building Official | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between building inspectors' and building officials' demographics:
| Building Inspector | Building Official | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 3.4% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |