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The differences between construction materials testing technicians and inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an inspector has an average salary of $38,757, which is higher than the $33,781 average annual salary of a construction materials testing technician.
The top three skills for a construction materials testing technician include asphalt, field testing and certifications. The most important skills for an inspector are sketch, good communication, and magnetic particle.
| Construction Materials Testing Technician | Inspector | |
| Yearly salary | $33,781 | $38,757 |
| Hourly rate | $16.24 | $18.63 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 35,836 | 17,670 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A construction materials testing technician is responsible for inspecting the efficiency and performance of construction tools and equipment, as well as the condition of the construction area and foundation. Construction materials testing technicians analyze the structure of the material's components, reading schematics and blueprints to assemble tools, and monitoring daily construction progress. They also identify cost-reduction materials by negotiating with trusted suppliers and contractors, ensuring high-quality products and deliverables. A construction materials testing technician must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in recommending strategic procedures for quality checks and testing.
An inspector is responsible for overseeing the overall condition of the site, ensuring that it complies with the safety standards and regulations. Inspectors' duties include monitoring the quality of the materials used, inspecting any defects and discrepancies that might compromise the operations, generating reports to assess the product costing if it meets the budget goals, and utilizing available resources in the market for the highest quality project. An inspector must have excellent decision-making and critical-thinking skills to perform comprehensive actions on risk management and service delivery.
Construction materials testing technicians and inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Construction Materials Testing Technician | Inspector | |
| Average salary | $33,781 | $38,757 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $42,000 | Between $27,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Vancouver, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Louisiana |
| Best paying company | - | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a construction materials testing technician and an inspector in terms of educational background:
| Construction Materials Testing Technician | Inspector | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 34% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between construction materials testing technicians' and inspectors' demographics:
| Construction Materials Testing Technician | Inspector | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.3% Female, 9.7% | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 7.4% White, 57.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.1% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |