Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for electrical inspectors in the United States
Electrical inspector job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected electrical inspector job growth rate is -4% from 2018-2028.
About -5,700 new jobs for electrical inspectors are projected over the next decade.
Electrical inspector salaries have increased 7% for electrical inspectors in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,275 electrical inspectors currently employed in the United States.
There are 42,321 active electrical inspector job openings in the US.
The average electrical inspector salary is $43,943.
Are electrical inspector jobs in demand?
Electrical inspector job and salary trends over time
Electrical inspector jobs over time
Electrical inspector job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,275 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,128 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,006 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,776 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,585 | 0.00% |
Average electrical inspector salary over time
Electrical inspector salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $43,943 | $21.13 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $42,440 | $20.40 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $41,734 | $20.06 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $41,307 | $19.86 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | $40,881 | $19.65 | +2.0% |
Electrical inspector jobs by state
Most common states for electrical inspectors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 74 | 11% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 608 | 9% |
| 3 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 483 | 9% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 665 | 8% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 108 | 8% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 48 | 8% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 754 | 7% |
| 8 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 488 | 7% |
| 9 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 231 | 7% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 229 | 7% |
| 11 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 94 | 7% |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 366 | 6% |
| 13 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 363 | 6% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 333 | 6% |
| 15 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 291 | 6% |
| 16 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 33 | 6% |
| 17 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,031 | 5% |
| 18 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 465 | 5% |
| 19 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 372 | 5% |
| 20 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 53 | 5% |
Most common cities for electrical inspectors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $42,684 |
| 2 | Menlo Park | 1 | 3% | $61,764 |
| 3 | Elkhart | 1 | 2% | $32,981 |
| 4 | Poway | 1 | 2% | $56,916 |
| 5 | Kansas City | 1 | 1% | $42,652 |
| 6 | Santa Barbara | 1 | 1% | $59,906 |
| 7 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $42,421 |
| 8 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $43,903 |
| 9 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $37,780 |
| 10 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $58,377 |
| 11 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $39,411 |
| 12 | Phoenix | 1 | 0% | $41,129 |
| 13 | Urban Honolulu | 1 | 0% | $59,243 |
Electrical Inspector job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of electrical inspector experts
Gonzaga University
Stevens Institute of Technology
California State University - Fresno
University of Alabama at Birmingham
San Diego State University
Old Dominion University
University of Central Florida
IAEI
NAESA International
University of Mississippi
University of California, Davis
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Wright State University
What Electrical Inspector skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Steven Schennum Ph.D. P.E.: The most important skill is the ability to learn new things, and especially to unlearn things you “know” after evidence demonstrates that these things are not true. Learn how to analyze information. Your intuition, simulations, and results should all be in alignment. If they are not, then dig deeper. Learn the terminology and jargon specific to your company and your projects. Spend time reading. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be intimidated by new software.
What Electrical Inspector skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Min Song: Communication skills and innovative thinking skills. As emerging technologies continue to be complex and multidisciplinary, it’s important to be able to communicate with professionals in diverse disciplines. Taking robotics, for example, the electrical engineer must be able to work with mechanical and biomechanical engineers, computer engineers, software engineers, artificial intelligence experts, cognitive scientists, system engineers, etc. A person will be able to generate innovative ideas only if the person has a complete and comprehensive understanding of the entire system and can work well with other individuals with a range of expertise.
What Electrical Inspector skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Hovannes Kulhandjian Ph.D.: Programming and Software Development: As technology advances, the integration of hardware and software becomes more prevalent. Familiarity with programming languages like Python, C++, or MATLAB can be beneficial. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: These technologies are being increasingly used in electrical engineering applications such as signal processing, automation, and control systems. Data Analysis: The ability to interpret and analyze data from sensors and other sources will become more important as data-driven decision-making continues to grow. Cybersecurity: Protecting electrical systems from cyber threats is becoming increasingly important. Understanding cybersecurity principles can be a valuable asset. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Collaboration across different engineering disciplines and fields such as computer science, mechanical engineering, and environmental science will be essential for complex projects.
What Electrical Inspector skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Arie Nakhmani: Electrical Engineering has always (from its inception) been a good profession to enter, but now it is better than ever. Now everything is becoming Electrical Engineering, and the world cannot survive without it even for a few days. Electrical Engineering is the most necessary profession for the survival of modern society.
What Electrical Inspector skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Arif Engin: Electrical engineering graduates are sought by a wide range of employers in government and industry for many different types of work. The top occupations in electrical engineering fields are projected to grow and sometimes require an advanced degree.
What will help Electrical Inspectors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Arif Engin: Electrical engineers solve problems by skillfully applying mathematics and science. Electrical engineering classes are challenging at college, and electrical engineers must embrace lifelong learning to remain at the top of their skills. In the end, seeing the results of their work in a finished product is a rewarding experience.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Electrical Inspectors?
Michel Audette Ph.D.: My take on this is what I've seen with my wife's work in industry, which suggests that the industrial landscape is going to be increasingly equipped for, and open to, remote work. I think that the implication for graduates is that they may need to be flexible about working within a geographically distributed team. If company deciders feel that someone is worth employing because of a unique skill set, then they would typically be more willing to hire that person even if unable to make it to work regularly, if that is feasible given the nature of the work; some work, such as hardware testing or industrial production, may not lend itself to remote contributions.
Nonetheless, for those areas that accommodate geographically distributed activity, such as software development, graduates can expect to interact with team members all over the US, possibly all over the world, if someone is deemed unique enough to hire despite living abroad. This places a high premium on the ability and willingness to work in a heterogeneous team, where not only will members look different, but also have myriad accents in their English, which will also impose a certain adaptability and tolerance to team members.
A related impact could also be that global hiring will make it easier for multi-national companies to hire a portion of their talent in countries where wages are lower and motivate US-based engineers to seek out graduate degrees in order to increase their competitiveness and employability at US salaries.
Maria Jacob
ProfessorUniversity of Central Florida
Department of ECE
What experience really stands out on Electrical Inspector resumes?
Maria Jacob: Well, this is a too general question to answer. It totally depends on which job you are applying. Is the graduate going to the industry or research? Is the job for testing, designing, coding? What will stand out will depend on this.
However, if I really have to choose one, I always thought that one of the most important things you can learn is to work in a multidisciplinary group. Then, if before graduation a student can have an internship either in the industry or in research that will definitely stand out.
L. Keith Lofland
Director of EducationIAEI
What experience really stands out on Electrical Inspector resumes?
L. Keith Lofland: Practical hands-on experience as an installer really stands out. In the electrical industry, our “Bible” is the National Electrical Code (NEC). Hiring someone to enforce the requirements of the NEC is greatly enhanced by someone who not only knows and understands these rules but also has hands-on experience in implementing these rules from a practical standpoint.
How do you envision technology impacting Electrical Inspectors in the next 5 years?
L. Keith Lofland: One of the growing trends in the inspection community is virtual inspections, where the inspector is off-site with someone (contractor, installer, homeowner, etc.) on-site with a camera feeding video back to the inspector. This technology was heightened and brought to the forefront by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Electrical Inspectors?
L. Keith Lofland: Yes (see above). Also, most inspection agencies (either by the state or local requirements) require their electrical inspectors to obtain a certain amount of required continuing education units (CEU) credits per calendar year. In the past, a lot of these CEU credits were obtained with in-person classroom training. The onslaught of the pandemic caused this type of CEU training to turn to webinar deliveries. Even after the pandemic, I believe webinar-type virtual training will continue to grow. There will always be a place for in-person training, but virtual training will easily overtake in-person training in the future.
Robert Shepherd
NAESA International
What general advice would you give to an Electrical Inspector?
Robert Shepherd: People entering the workforce for the first time and recent grads cannot become elevator inspectors due to prerequisites required, which cannot be attained in any sort of schooling supplied in the world, there is none in existence. The only way you get to be a certified elevator inspector is by successfully attaining a diploma from the school of hard knocks, so OJT is the only way!
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Electrical Inspectors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Ramanarayanan "Vish" Viswanathan Ph.D.: In general, the whole of the United States has a variety of jobs for graduating electrical engineers. Some of our graduates have landed jobs with companies in the Western part of the US, and many have obtained jobs in companies in and around Mississippi, including those in Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Michigan, to name a few.
What Electrical Inspector skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Andre Knoesen Ph.D.: The gap year is an excellent period to expand soft skills (e.g., communication, critical thinking, creativity, writing, and exposure to other cultures) that are essential for new engineers. Basic engineering talents could be maintained by volunteering time in K-12 schools, such as assisting in distance learning efforts.
Robert Saunders P.E.
Assistant Department HeadUniversity of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Electrical Engineering Department
What general advice would you give to an Electrical Inspector?
Robert Saunders P.E.: The job market for an electrical engineering student coming out of college is challenging right now. Many companies are still hiring electrical engineering students but, the students can't be as finicky about what jobs they are accepting. More than half of the students are starting their new jobs working remotely, which is a large shift from normal but the companies seem to be using this time to bring the new hires up to speed on policy, procedures, and industry regulations.
What general advice would you give to an Electrical Inspector?
Fred Garber Ph.D.: I think the primary question, in the minds of those who are yet to graduate or are still searching, is in regard to the strength of the technical job market, especially the local job market. But you are in a position to definitively answer that question.
In you article, I would ask that you address the following:
Number of employers looking to fill and number of job offerings in the region (by engineering and computer science major) compared to last year and to the previous five years.
Any noticeable differences in job descriptions Zippia is receiving relative to work environment, benefits, starting salaries, etc.
Many of our soon-to-graduate students would be very interested in these quantitative and qualitative comparisons. Additionally, vast numbers of potential students would benefit from such information to guide their career choices.