What does a code enforcement officer do?
Code enforcement officers are professionals who work for the government to ensure that properties within their jurisdiction are following the zoning laws and building ordinances of a city, town, or county. These officers are required to inspect properties and record violations as part of their regular assessment or in response to complaints. They must explain to property owners about building codes and zoning laws so that they can avoid confusion and increase awareness of all violations. Code enforcement officers must also keep records of case violations and complaints while submitting the summary reports to their supervisors.
Code enforcement officer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real code enforcement officer resumes:
- 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.
- Patrol assign areas within the city limits while operating a city vehicle to enforce nuisance and property maintenance codes.
- Create simulations for force-on-force firearms training/defensive tactics for customers and train the trainers at Police/Sheriff departments.
- Assist in maintaining files for all summonses issue; compile status reports on specific assignments as requested.
- Impound illegally park or abandon vehicles.
Code enforcement officer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Code Enforcement Officers are proficient in Patrol, Public Safety, and Community Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Empathy, Good judgment, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Code Enforcement Officers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patrol, 12%
Patrol my designated area of the City to ensure properties are being held up to standard with the City Codes.
- Public Safety, 7%
Represented the Consumer Affairs Department of Public Safety at industry meetings, training programs and community relations exhibits.
- Community Development, 5%
Developed a Calendar and directory of local civic and non-profit organizations for the city of Johns Creek Department of Community Development.
- Municipal Codes, 4%
Collaborate with residents of a diverse bilingual population to achieve voluntary compliance with Municipal Code.
- Code Compliance, 4%
Delegated administrator of citywide code compliance/enforcement associated with citizen initiated nuisance/health/safety complaints.
- Plumbing, 4%
Performed electrical and plumbing repairs within terminal.
"patrol," "public safety," and "community development" are among the most common skills that code enforcement officers use at work. You can find even more code enforcement officer responsibilities below, including:
Empathy. One of the key soft skills for a code enforcement officer to have is empathy. You can see how this relates to what code enforcement officers do because "police officers need to understand the perspectives of a variety of people in their jurisdiction and be willing to help the public." Additionally, a code enforcement officer resume shows how code enforcement officers use empathy: "possess understanding of all law enforcement post equipment, alarms, logs, and devices within established guidelines. "
Good judgment. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling code enforcement officer duties is good judgment. The role rewards competence in this skill because "police and detectives must be able to determine the best way to solve an array of problems." According to a code enforcement officer resume, here's how code enforcement officers can utilize good judgment in their job responsibilities: "obtain good customer service with patients, staff, and visitors. "
Leadership skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of code enforcement officers is leadership skills. This skill is critical to many everyday code enforcement officer duties, as "police officers must be comfortable with being a highly visible member of their community, as the public looks to them for help in emergencies." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "field training officer: (fto) provided leadership and guidance to trainees. "
Physical strength. code enforcement officer responsibilities often require "physical strength." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "police officers must be strong enough to physically apprehend suspects and to assist people in precarious situations." This resume example shows what code enforcement officers do with physical strength on a typical day: "strengthened community relations by launching police community council open to all residents. "
Communication skills. Another common skill required for code enforcement officer responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of code enforcement officers all the time, as "police and detectives must be able to speak with people and to express details in writing about an incident." An excerpt from a real code enforcement officer resume shows how this skill is central to what a code enforcement officer does: "utilized unparalleled communications, customer service, and investigative skills to enforce municipal code compliance for the city of jacksonville. "
Physical stamina. Another skill commonly found on code enforcement officer job descriptions is "physical stamina." It can come up quite often in code enforcement officer duties, since "officers and detectives must be in good physical shape, both to pass required tests for entry into the field and to keep up with the daily rigors of the job." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day code enforcement officer responsibilities: "provided physical security guidance to bos contractor management personnel to prevent loss of government equipment and supplies. "
The three companies that hire the most code enforcement officers are:
- City of Reno3 code enforcement officers jobs
- Indiana State Police2 code enforcement officers jobs
- Gwinnett County2 code enforcement officers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable code enforcement officer resume templates
Build a professional code enforcement officer resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your code enforcement officer resume.
Compare different code enforcement officers
Code enforcement officer vs. Deputy
The duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat. There are also instances when a deputy must serve court documents, transport detainees or suspected criminals, and monitor courtrooms. Furthermore, a deputy reports to higher-ranking officers such as a sheriff.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between code enforcement officers and deputy. For instance, code enforcement officer responsibilities require skills such as "community development," "municipal codes," "code compliance," and "plumbing." Whereas a deputy is skilled in "transport inmates," "emergency situations," "cpr," and "federal laws." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Deputies really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $53,877. Comparatively, code enforcement officers tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $41,975.deputies tend to reach higher levels of education than code enforcement officers. In fact, deputies are 5.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Code enforcement officer vs. Criminal investigator
A criminal investigator is a law enforcement professional who endeavors to solve felony crimes. Criminal investigators may work alone or as a member of an investigative team whose goal is to uncover the certainty of a case and potentially keep suspects to prevent the ensuing criminal activity. Their tasks and responsibilities depend on various job functions and specialties. They may specialize in the information and evidence of a crime scene, conduct interviews and searches, or perform surveillance.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, code enforcement officer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "public safety," "community development," "municipal codes," and "code compliance." Meanwhile, a criminal investigator has duties that require skills in areas such as "investigative reports," "resourcefulness," "firearms," and "treasury." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Criminal investigators may earn a higher salary than code enforcement officers, but criminal investigators earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $52,921. On the other hand, code enforcement officers receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $41,975.criminal investigators earn similar levels of education than code enforcement officers in general. They're 4.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Code enforcement officer vs. Detective
A detective is responsible for conducting in-depth investigations for criminal activities, potential threats, and other law-violating incidents, coordinating closely with law-enforcement agencies and crime intelligence analysts. Detectives often work on the field, gathering data and related evidence to support claims and connect the timeline of events. They keep an organized record of their findings for further validation before reporting it to the authority. A detective must have excellent investigative and critical-thinking skills, especially on solving puzzles and security solutions.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a code enforcement officer is likely to be skilled in "community development," "municipal codes," "code compliance," and "plumbing," while a typical detective is skilled in "physical evidence," "law enforcement agencies," "crime scenes," and "insurance fraud."
When it comes to education, detectives tend to earn similar degree levels compared to code enforcement officers. In fact, they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Code enforcement officer vs. Assets protection specialist
An assets protection specialist is an individual who is responsible for implementing safety and environmental programs to their assigned store or multiple stores as well as prevent financial loss caused by theft and fraud. Asset protection specialists are required to monitor the store's physical security and audit electronic article surveillance. They also prepare accurate and detailed case reports and interact with law enforcement as well as testify in criminal and civil court actions. Asset protection specialists must also report any hazardous or unsafe condition to the manager on duty.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between code enforcement officers and assets protection specialists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a code enforcement officer might have more use for skills like "public safety," "community development," "municipal codes," and "code compliance." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of assets protection specialists require skills like "cctv," "physical security," "exception reports," and "criminal justice. "
In general, assets protection specialists earn the most working in the retail industry, with an average salary of $34,400. The highest-paying industry for a code enforcement officer is the government industry.assets protection specialists reach similar levels of education compared to code enforcement officers, in general. The difference is that they're 4.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of code enforcement officer
Updated January 8, 2025
