Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between building inspectors and plans examiners 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 plans examiner. Additionally, a plans examiner has an average salary of $59,697, which is higher than the $51,781 average annual salary of a building inspector.
The top three skills for a building inspector include plumbing, customer service and building construction. The most important skills for a plans examiner are plumbing, customer service, and life safety.
| Building Inspector | Plans Examiner | |
| Yearly salary | $51,781 | $59,697 |
| Hourly rate | $24.89 | $28.70 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 20,962 | 4,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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 plans examiner is typically in charge of evaluating construction or work plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and zoning ordinances. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and reviewing applications and documentation, verifying the accuracy and authenticity of requirements, and assuring that they adhere to the safety policies and standards. Furthermore, as a plans examiner, it is essential to liaise with clients and other officials, maintain records of all transactions, and provide advice on whether the applications are suitable for permits.
Building inspectors and plans examiners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Building Inspector | Plans Examiner | |
| Average salary | $51,781 | $59,697 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $84,000 | Between $41,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Fairfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | Icma-rc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a building inspector and a plans examiner in terms of educational background:
| Building Inspector | Plans Examiner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Architecture |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities |
Here are the differences between building inspectors' and plans examiners' demographics:
| Building Inspector | Plans Examiner | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3% |
| 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, 12.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |