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The differences between building officials and housing 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 housing inspector. Additionally, a housing inspector has an average salary of $47,599, 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 housing inspector are quality standards, safety issues, and plumbing.
| Building Official | Housing Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $46,398 | $47,599 |
| Hourly rate | $22.31 | $22.88 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 4,912 | 18,546 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| 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.
Housing Inspectors inspect the construction nature of the existing buildings. They examine the facilities and report on the general house condition, house damage, house defects, and no longer working components. Their primary duties include checking and conducting necessary testing of plumbing installations and existing electrical and checking existing houses to note and report fire hazards, structural defects, and other safety threats. Moreover, Housing Inspectors inspect homes on behalf of clients, assess them, and deliver reports about the property's physical condition.
Building officials and housing inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Building Official | Housing Inspector | |
| Average salary | $46,398 | $47,599 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $89,000 | Between $29,000 And $76,000 |
| Highest paying City | Riverside, CA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | University of California | City of Detroit |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a building official and a housing inspector in terms of educational background:
| Building Official | Housing Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | San Diego State University |
Here are the differences between building officials' and housing inspectors' demographics:
| Building Official | Housing Inspector | |
| Average age | 50 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8% |
| 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, 8.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |