How to hire an electrical inspector

How to hire an electrical inspector, step by step

Here's a step-by-step electrical inspector hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an electrical inspector job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new electrical inspector
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an electrical inspector do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the electrical inspector you need to hire. Certain electrical inspector roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an electrical inspector to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an electrical inspector that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of electrical inspectors.

   Type of Electrical Inspector	Description	Hourly rate
   Electrical Inspector	Construction and building inspectors ensure that construction meets local and national building codes and ordinances, zoning regulations, and contract specifications.	$13-32
   Plans Examiner	A plans examiner is typically in charge of evaluating construction or work plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and zoning ordinances. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and reviewing applications and documentation, verifying the accuracy and authenticity of requirements, and assuring that they adhere to the safety policies and standards... Show more	$19-40
   Engineering Construction Inspector	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... Show more	$16-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Inspection Reports
   • Electrical Equipment
   • Electrical Code
   • Electrical Installation
   • OSHA
   • Electrical Construction
   • Electrical Inspections
   • Construction Projects
   • Plumbing
   • Code Violations
   • NEC
   • Engineering Drawings
   • Code Compliance
   • Plan Review

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage high volume case assignments to a final disposition of abatement, civil summons, criminal arrests or referral.
   • Observe and in force all NEC and OSHA requirement for the duration of the project.
   • Repair mechanical and electrical components according to OSHA safety regulations.
   • Verify the installation of all material as per clients specs and to NEC code.
   • Conduct skil technical building code inspections and apply practices of building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical.
   • Program and troubleshoot verses types PLC's & HMI's systems and automatic transfer switches for generator control systems.

   More electrical inspector duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your electrical inspector job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An electrical inspector can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, electrical inspectors' average salary in kentucky is 52% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level electrical inspectors 58% less than senior-level electrical inspectors.
   • Certifications. An electrical inspector with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an electrical inspector's salary.

   Average electrical inspector salary

   $43,943yearly

   $21.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level electrical inspector salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

   Average electrical inspector salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$61,386	$30
   2	New Jersey	$53,095	$26
   3	New York	$50,858	$24
   4	Washington	$49,549	$24
   5	Virginia	$48,544	$23
   6	Oregon	$48,373	$23
   7	Massachusetts	$44,602	$21
   8	Michigan	$43,914	$21
   9	Iowa	$43,902	$21
   10	Colorado	$42,900	$21
   11	Maryland	$42,421	$20
   12	Texas	$41,597	$20
   13	Illinois	$40,625	$20
   14	Florida	$40,286	$19
   15	Ohio	$36,880	$18
   16	North Carolina	$36,097	$17
   17	Rhode Island	$35,428	$17
   18	Idaho	$35,202	$17
   19	Pennsylvania	$34,475	$17
   20	Georgia	$33,053	$16

   Average electrical inspector salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	City of Detroit	$74,548	$35.84	4
   2	Jacobs Engineering Group	$73,503	$35.34
   3	Fusion Technology	$73,193	$35.19
   4	GPAC	$67,786	$32.59
   5	City of Seattle	$67,546	$32.47	3
   6	City of San Antonio	$66,123	$31.79	4
   7	T.Y. Lin International	$65,981	$31.72	42
   8	City of Baltimore	$64,357	$30.94	8
   9	AECOM	$63,908	$30.73	197
   10	HDR	$63,315	$30.44	107
   11	PBF Energy	$62,325	$29.96	2
   12	King County	$62,036	$29.82
   13	City of Louisville	$61,315	$29.48
   14	Frederick County	$59,369	$28.54	5
   15	Lane County Engineer	$59,308	$28.51
   16	Intertek	$58,637	$28.19	51
   17	City of Hampton	$58,544	$28.15	1
   18	City of Sunny Isles Beach	$55,515	$26.69	2
   19	Baker Hughes	$54,343	$26.13	3
   20	Lincoln Holdings LLC	$53,868	$25.90

4. Writing an electrical inspector job description

   An electrical inspector job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an electrical inspector job description:

   Electrical inspector job description example

   CPH is a multi-disciplined Engineering and Architectural design firm that ranks in the nation's Top 500 Design Firms by ENR Magazine.
   CPH has an opening in our Sanford, Florida location for the following position:
   
   Electrical Engineer-in-Training (E.I.) with 2 - 4 years of experience in commercial and industrial design.
   
   Hiring Bonus of $1,000 for selected candidate!
   
   Job Description
   Design and draft electrical engineering systems for a variety of project types including commercial, government, restaurant, industrial, retail centers, office buildings, site/street lighting, and lift stations. Assist on projects as assigned by department management and coordinate with other engineering disciplines to complete tasks on schedule and on budget. Ideal candidate is self-motivated and works effectively in a team or individual situations. Must have excellent communication skills and able to prioritize work activities.
   
   Responsibilities
   Analyze and design electrical systems for a variety of facilities.
   Develop designs and construction documents, including electrical site lighting, site grounding, panel schedules, one-line diagrams, interior lighting, power and circuiting.
   Assist senior staff with site surveys, field investigations, condition surveys and feasibility studies for proposed projects and prepare reports.
   Coordinate with other disciplines including mechanical, plumbing, site civil, structural, instrumentation, controls, and architectural, to create and update drawings and documentation.
   Assist Sr. Engineers in other engineering related tasks.
   Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
   
   Qualifications
   A bachelor's degree in electrical engineering with an EIT certificate.
   2-4 years of experience in architectural/building electrical design.
   Experience with Florida Building Codes, Energy Codes, National Electrical Code, and International Building Codes.
   Must be proficient in REVIT. Experience in AutoCAD is a plus
   Proficient with MS Office Suite and Adobe PDF.
   Understanding of other Engineering Disciplines and Architecture is a plus.
   Experience with Photometric software, AGI-32, a plus.
   Experience with Fault Current and Arc Fault Calculations in EasyPower (preferred), SKM or ETAP, a plus.
   This candidate must have strong written and communication skills and be able to engage in a collaborative team environment.
   This candidate needs to be adaptable and able to listen and learn from others.
   
   Compensation & Benefits:
   
   Dependent upon experience.
   CPH offers Medical, Dental and Vision with a quality insurance company.
   Company Paid Life Insurance and Long Term Disability.
   401K, Paid Personal Time Off, and Paid Holidays
   
   CPH is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Drug Free Work Environment Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right electrical inspector for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your electrical inspector job on Zippia to find and recruit electrical inspector candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as constructionjobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting electrical inspectors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new electrical inspector

   Once you have selected a candidate for the electrical inspector position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an electrical inspector?