Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a building official
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you thinking of becoming a building official and really want to work at Minnesota? Turns out, your chances to become a building official are better in some states than others.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of building officials in America is $89,000.
The median salary for building officials in New Jersey is $62,928. Compare that to the median salary in Idaho of $24,835, which ranked worst for building officials, and you can see how your location is important for your career.New Jersey is the best state, and Brick is the city with the highest pay for building officials.
10 best states for building officials in 2026
1. New Jersey
Total building official jobs: 74 Average annual salary: $62,928 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
2. Connecticut
Total building official jobs: 40 Average annual salary: $56,415 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
3. California
Total building official jobs: 321 Average annual salary: $59,176 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
4. Maryland
Total building official jobs: 55 Average annual salary: $54,925 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
5. Vermont
Total building official jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $51,147 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
6. Delaware
Total building official jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $60,188 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
7. Massachusetts
Total building official jobs: 62 Average annual salary: $56,356 Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
8. Alaska
Total building official jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $50,744 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
9. Wisconsin
Total building official jobs: 53 Average annual salary: $43,557 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
10. Nevada
Total building official jobs: 20 Average annual salary: $44,449 Lowest 10 percent earn: $23,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
Building official jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a building official
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a building official
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $62,928 | $32,000 | 9,005,644 | 74 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $56,415 | $28,000 | 3,588,184 | 40 |
| 3 | California | $59,176 | $30,000 | 39,536,653 | 321 |
| 4 | Maryland | $54,925 | $28,000 | 6,052,177 | 55 |
| 5 | Vermont | $51,147 | $27,000 | 623,657 | 7 |
| 6 | Delaware | $60,188 | $30,000 | 961,939 | 7 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $56,356 | $29,000 | 6,859,819 | 62 |
| 8 | Alaska | $50,744 | $26,000 | 739,795 | 7 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $43,557 | $26,000 | 5,795,483 | 53 |
| 10 | Nevada | $44,449 | $23,000 | 2,998,039 | 20 |
| 11 | Michigan | $48,286 | $26,000 | 9,962,311 | 53 |
| 12 | New York | $50,362 | $25,000 | 19,849,399 | 102 |
| 13 | Maine | $53,808 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 0 |
| 14 | Arizona | $43,528 | $23,000 | 7,016,270 | 58 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $42,112 | $26,000 | 5,576,606 | 70 |
| 16 | Virginia | $43,774 | $22,000 | 8,470,020 | 109 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $50,723 | $26,000 | 1,342,795 | 6 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $43,773 | $22,000 | 1,059,639 | 10 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $43,944 | $22,000 | 693,972 | 34 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $42,741 | $21,000 | 12,805,537 | 98 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $41,820 | $27,000 | 755,393 | 6 |
| 22 | Ohio | $39,211 | $21,000 | 11,658,609 | 89 |
| 23 | Illinois | $45,633 | $26,000 | 12,802,023 | 57 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $40,138 | $22,000 | 2,088,070 | 15 |
| 25 | Montana | $42,522 | $25,000 | 1,050,493 | 7 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $40,168 | $22,000 | 10,273,419 | 59 |
| 27 | Iowa | $40,659 | $24,000 | 3,145,711 | 19 |
| 28 | Florida | $36,271 | $20,000 | 20,984,400 | 146 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $32,826 | $17,000 | 1,815,857 | 21 |
| 30 | Washington | $37,373 | $20,000 | 7,405,743 | 62 |
| 31 | Kansas | $37,393 | $22,000 | 2,913,123 | 20 |
| 32 | Texas | $32,622 | $18,000 | 28,304,596 | 246 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $34,769 | $20,000 | 6,715,984 | 44 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $41,520 | $27,000 | 1,427,538 | 2 |
| 35 | Missouri | $34,588 | $20,000 | 6,113,532 | 46 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $35,815 | $21,000 | 3,004,279 | 9 |
| 37 | Indiana | $33,862 | $19,000 | 6,666,818 | 46 |
| 38 | Colorado | $31,034 | $18,000 | 5,607,154 | 99 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $33,514 | $19,000 | 5,024,369 | 34 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $34,640 | $20,000 | 2,984,100 | 6 |
| 41 | Oregon | $32,534 | $17,000 | 4,142,776 | 29 |
| 42 | Alabama | $34,643 | $20,000 | 4,874,747 | 12 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $33,106 | $20,000 | 579,315 | 3 |
| 44 | Utah | $28,683 | $16,000 | 3,101,833 | 33 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $31,021 | $19,000 | 1,920,076 | 13 |
| 46 | Georgia | $29,782 | $17,000 | 10,429,379 | 74 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $30,301 | $17,000 | 4,684,333 | 18 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $26,232 | $15,000 | 3,930,864 | 21 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $27,928 | $17,000 | 869,666 | 2 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $28,197 | $16,000 | 4,454,189 | 12 |
| 51 | Idaho | $24,835 | $14,000 | 1,716,943 | 2 |
Highest paying states for building officials
| Rank | State | Avg. Building Official Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $62,928 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $56,415 |
| 3 | California | $59,176 |
| 4 | Maryland | $54,925 |
| 5 | Vermont | $51,147 |
| 6 | Delaware | $60,188 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $56,356 |
| 8 | Alaska | $50,744 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $43,557 |
| 10 | Nevada | $44,449 |
| 11 | Michigan | $48,286 |
| 12 | New York | $50,362 |
| 13 | Maine | $53,808 |
| 14 | Arizona | $43,528 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $42,112 |
| 16 | Virginia | $43,774 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $50,723 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $43,773 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $43,944 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $42,741 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $41,820 |
| 22 | Ohio | $39,211 |
| 23 | Illinois | $45,633 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $40,138 |
| 25 | Montana | $42,522 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $40,168 |
| 27 | Iowa | $40,659 |
| 28 | Florida | $36,271 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $32,826 |
| 30 | Washington | $37,373 |
| 31 | Kansas | $37,393 |
| 32 | Texas | $32,622 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $34,769 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $41,520 |
| 35 | Missouri | $34,588 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $35,815 |
| 37 | Indiana | $33,862 |
| 38 | Colorado | $31,034 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $33,514 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $34,640 |
| 41 | Oregon | $32,534 |
| 42 | Alabama | $34,643 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $33,106 |
| 44 | Utah | $28,683 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $31,021 |
| 46 | Georgia | $29,782 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $30,301 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $26,232 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $27,928 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $28,197 |
| 51 | Idaho | $24,835 |
Building official best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common construction and extraction questions.
Search for building official jobs
Updated January 8, 2025