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The differences between building officials 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 official and an engineering construction inspector. Additionally, an engineering construction inspector has an average salary of $51,630, 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 an engineering construction inspector are construction projects, construction sites, and asphalt.
| Building Official | Engineering Construction Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $46,398 | $51,630 |
| Hourly rate | $22.31 | $24.82 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 4,912 | 95,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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.
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 officials and engineering construction inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Building Official | Engineering Construction Inspector | |
| Average salary | $46,398 | $51,630 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $89,000 | Between $35,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Riverside, CA | Eugene, OR |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of California | Jacobs Engineering Group |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a building official and an engineering construction inspector in terms of educational background:
| Building Official | Engineering Construction Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 engineering construction inspectors' demographics:
| Building Official | Engineering Construction Inspector | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| 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, 8.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |