Building inspector vs code enforcement officer

The differences between building inspectors and code enforcement officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a building inspector has an average salary of $51,781, which is higher than the $40,706 average annual salary of a code enforcement officer.

The top three skills for a building inspector include plumbing, customer service and building construction. The most important skills for a code enforcement officer are patrol, public safety, and community development.

Building inspector vs code enforcement officer overview

	Building Inspector	Code Enforcement Officer
Yearly salary	$51,781	$40,706
Hourly rate	$24.89	$19.57
Growth rate	-4%	3%
Number of jobs	20,962	104,295
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	50	40
Years of experience	6	-

What does a building inspector do?

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.

What does a code enforcement officer do?

Code enforcement officers are professionals who work for the government to ensure that properties within their jurisdiction are following the zoning laws and building ordinances of a city, town, or county. These officers are required to inspect properties and record violations as part of their regular assessment or in response to complaints. They must explain to property owners about building codes and zoning laws so that they can avoid confusion and increase awareness of all violations. Code enforcement officers must also keep records of case violations and complaints while submitting the summary reports to their supervisors.

Building inspector vs code enforcement officer salary

Building inspectors and code enforcement officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Building Inspector	Code Enforcement Officer
Average salary	$51,781	$40,706
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $84,000	Between $29,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Rafael, CA
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Icma-rc	King County
Best paying industry	Technology	Government

Differences between building inspector and code enforcement officer education

There are a few differences between a building inspector and a code enforcement officer in terms of educational background:

	Building Inspector	Code Enforcement Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	San Diego State University	California State University - Bakersfield

Building inspector vs code enforcement officer demographics

Here are the differences between building inspectors' and code enforcement officers' demographics:

	Building Inspector	Code Enforcement Officer
Average age	50	40
Gender ratio	Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1%	Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7%
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, 12.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 3.2% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	5%	7%

Differences between building inspector and code enforcement officer duties and responsibilities

Building inspector example responsibilities.

Lead site excavations, form structuring, and supervise concrete pours.
Manage high volume case assignments to a final disposition of abatement, civil summons, criminal arrests or referral.
Work from ladders, hanging scaffolding, boats, and from the bucket of snooper and bucket trucks.
Assist in roofing and carpentry.
Administer FEMA floodplain and mitigation efforts.
Work orders for HVAC and architectural contractors.

Code enforcement officer example responsibilities.

Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
Review variance, special use and any land use applications.
Review plans and specifications for zoning, parking and setback requirements.
Enforce city and state ordinances, patrol city for violations against the city building code and animal laws.
Patrol assign areas within the city limits while operating a city vehicle to enforce nuisance and property maintenance codes.
Create simulations for force-on-force firearms training/defensive tactics for customers and train the trainers at Police/Sheriff departments.

Building inspector vs code enforcement officer skills

Common building inspector skills

Plumbing, 14%
Customer Service, 9%
Building Construction, 9%
Ladders, 8%
Construction Sites, 5%
Code Violations, 5%

Common code enforcement officer skills

Patrol, 12%
Public Safety, 7%
Community Development, 5%
Municipal Codes, 4%
Code Compliance, 4%
Plumbing, 4%

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Building Inspector vs Code Enforcement Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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