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The differences between building officials and 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 official and a construction inspector. Additionally, a construction inspector has an average salary of $52,306, 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 construction inspector are asphalt, ACI, and construction inspection.
| Building Official | Construction Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $46,398 | $52,306 |
| Hourly rate | $22.31 | $25.15 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 4,912 | 42,007 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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.
A construction inspector is an individual who is responsible for inspecting construction sites to ensure that these sites are following local and building codes and ordinances, zoning regulations, and contract specifications. Construction inspectors use survey equipment, metering devices, and test equipment to perform inspections of plumbing, electrical and other systems within the construction. They approve building plans that are satisfactory and issue violation notices and stop orders when there are violations. Construction inspectors also keep photographs taken during inspections and provide written documentation.
Building officials and construction inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Building Official | Construction Inspector | |
| Average salary | $46,398 | $52,306 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $89,000 | Between $36,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Riverside, CA | Oakland, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | University of California | Orange County Sanitation District |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a building official and a construction inspector in terms of educational background:
| Building Official | Construction Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| 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 construction inspectors' demographics:
| Building Official | Construction Inspector | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% |
| 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% |