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The differences between building officials and bridge 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 official and a bridge inspector. Additionally, a bridge inspector has an average salary of $52,316, which is higher than the $46,398 average annual salary of a building official.
The top three skills for a building official include community development, code compliance and plumbing. The most important skills for a bridge inspector are DOT, asphalt, and construction inspection.
| Building Official | Bridge Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $46,398 | $52,316 |
| Hourly rate | $22.31 | $25.15 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 4,912 | 17,216 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
Bridge inspectors are civil engineer construction specialists whose job is to assess the conditions of bridges, ensuring public safety. The inspectors inspect any damage and deterioration of the bridges, culverts, waterways, and trestles. They are familiar with the analysis system of load rating. Their job involves monitoring construction-related activities to make sure that contractors will comply with design drawings, safety requirements, and specifications. Also, they function as a liaison project engineer between the project and field engineer.
Building officials and bridge inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Building Official | Bridge Inspector | |
| Average salary | $46,398 | $52,316 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $89,000 | Between $33,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Riverside, CA | Olympia, WA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of California | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a building official and a bridge inspector in terms of educational background:
| Building Official | Bridge Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between building officials' and bridge inspectors' demographics:
| Building Official | Bridge Inspector | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |