How To Become A Code Enforcement Officer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a code enforcement officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

If you've ever tried to build a house or renovate a building, you're probably familiar with the complicated zoning laws and other ordinances that many cities and counties have. But who makes sure that people follow those laws? That's the job of the code enforcement officer.

The code enforcement officer investigates citizen complaints about violations of code, such as a neighbor's new shed hanging over the property line. They also enforce codes by issuing fines and sometimes leave the office to conduct property inspections.

The code enforcement officer needs to be very familiar with local building codes and organized in order to handle the paperwork that piles up. The code enforcement officer also needs to be good at communication so that they can explain confusing local ordinances and be patient when it comes to dealing with people angry at receiving fines.

ScoreCode Enforcement OfficerUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $40,706

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.01%

Asian 3.24%

Black or African American 12.27%

Hispanic or Latino 19.73%

Unknown 4.54%

White 59.20%

Gender

female 32.74%

male 67.26%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a code enforcement officer

Explore code enforcement officer education requirements

Most common code enforcement officer degrees

Bachelor's

44.6 %

Associate

27.0 %

High School Diploma

12.2 %

Start to develop specific code enforcement officer skills

Skills	Percentages
Patrol	12.06%
Public Safety	7.36%
Community Development	4.54%
Municipal Codes	4.33%
Code Compliance	4.18%

Complete relevant code enforcement officer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New code enforcement officers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a code enforcement officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real code enforcement officer resumes.

Research code enforcement officer duties and responsibilities

Develop and manage firearms training programs, including weapons selection and qualification standards.
Review variance, special use and any land use applications.
Review plans and specifications for zoning, parking and setback requirements.
Enforce city and state ordinances, patrol city for violations against the city building code and animal laws.

Prepare your code enforcement officer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your code enforcement officer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a code enforcement officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable code enforcement officer resume templates

Build a professional code enforcement officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your code enforcement officer resume.