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Building inspector vs engineering construction inspector

The differences between building inspectors and engineering construction inspectors 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 an engineering construction inspector. Additionally, a building inspector has an average salary of $51,781, which is higher than the $51,630 average annual salary of an engineering construction inspector.

The top three skills for a building inspector include plumbing, customer service and building construction. The most important skills for an engineering construction inspector are construction projects, construction sites, and asphalt.

Building inspector vs engineering construction inspector overview

Building InspectorEngineering Construction Inspector
Yearly salary$51,781$51,630
Hourly rate$24.89$24.82
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs20,96295,430
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age5050
Years of experience66

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 an engineering construction inspector do?

Typically, an engineering construction inspector is in charge of the environmental and engineering needs of any building. Engineering construction inspectors perform inspection on the electrical, plumbing, and other related systems to ensure code compliance. They review building plans to ensure their compliance with local ordinances, contract specifications, and building codes. It is their job to keep everyday logs such as inspection photographs. They monitor the construction sites on a periodical basis.

Building inspector vs engineering construction inspector salary

Building inspectors and engineering construction inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Building InspectorEngineering Construction Inspector
Average salary$51,781$51,630
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $84,000Between $35,000 And $74,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAEugene, OR
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyIcma-rcJacobs Engineering Group
Best paying industryTechnologyProfessional

Differences between building inspector and engineering construction inspector education

There are a few differences between a building inspector and an engineering construction inspector in terms of educational background:

Building InspectorEngineering Construction Inspector
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorBusinessCivil Engineering
Most common collegeSan Diego State UniversitySan Diego State University

Building inspector vs engineering construction inspector demographics

Here are the differences between building inspectors' and engineering construction inspectors' demographics:

Building InspectorEngineering Construction Inspector
Average age5050
Gender ratioMale, 88.9% Female, 11.1%Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%
Race ratioBlack 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, 8.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between building inspector and engineering construction inspector 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.
  • Show more

Engineering construction inspector example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate, manage, and conduct geotechnical engineering and engineering geology subsurface investigations.
  • Inspect general construction, plumbing, and electrical.
  • Calculate quantities of asphalt and concrete place and remove from construction job sites on a monthly basis.
  • Perform density tests, earthwork monitoring, geotechnical investigations.
  • Inspect entire asphalt paving operations and concrete to assure conformity to specifications.
  • Inspect installation of mechanical and plumbing systems to comply with construction drawings and specifications.
  • Show more

Building inspector vs engineering construction inspector skills

Common building inspector skills
  • Plumbing, 14%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Building Construction, 9%
  • Ladders, 8%
  • Construction Sites, 5%
  • Code Violations, 5%
Common engineering construction inspector skills
  • Construction Projects, 12%
  • Construction Sites, 11%
  • Asphalt, 9%
  • ACI, 7%
  • Highway Construction, 7%
  • Construction Engineering, 6%

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