What does an electrical inspector do?
An electrical inspector ensures that an establishment's wiring and other electrical components are working properly and hazard free for those who will occupy the space. The tasks of being an electrical inspector include determining electrical hazards and checking if there are any uncovered permanent or if there are any outdated wiring. They test the safety switches and examine the power box, and test the place's lighting and source of power. Their responsibilities may involve the evaluation of the electrical service's level especially the DIY wiring and noting and testing of smoke alarm location. Also, they make sure that all electrical items in the area comply with government regulations.
Electrical inspector responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real electrical inspector resumes:
- 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.
- Develop documentation certifying compliance to the NEC
- Produce quality notifications on installation procedures and vendor products in order to meet engineering criteria and FAA guidelines.
- Assist technicians with the soldering of DC components onto relay boards for logging tools.
- Direct field management of electrical crew and oversight of surface activities associate with the underground construction.
Electrical inspector skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Electrical Inspectors are proficient in Inspection Reports, Electrical Equipment, and Electrical Code. They’re also known for soft skills such as Craft experience, Detail oriented, and Mechanical knowledge.
We break down the percentage of Electrical Inspectors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Inspection Reports, 8%
Noted and practiced applicable Inspection reporting for delivery and forms/checklists processing.
- Electrical Equipment, 7%
Performed electrical inspection & construction lay out of electrical equipment for power & instrumentation installations.
- Electrical Code, 7%
Explain and interpret National Electrical Code requirements and restrictions.
- Electrical Installation, 6%
Established reputation as go-to expert for complex and specialized electrical installation and quality control challenges.
- OSHA, 6%
Attended training schools for T-body construction through Cooper Power Systems and OSHA 10hr course through Red Vector.
- Electrical Construction, 5%
Inspected electrical construction performed on various contracts and generated reports documenting acceptable/unacceptable status on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
Common skills that an electrical inspector uses to do their job include "inspection reports," "electrical equipment," and "electrical code." You can find details on the most important electrical inspector responsibilities below.
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform electrical inspector duties is detail oriented. Electrical inspectors responsibilities require that "inspectors thoroughly examine many different construction activities." Electrical inspectors also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "prepare detailed cost estimates of electrical construction projects. "
Mechanical knowledge. This is an important skill for electrical inspectors to perform their duties. For an example of how electrical inspector responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "inspectors use a variety of testing equipment to check complex systems and must therefore understand how the systems operate." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of an electrical inspector: "received certification as electrical inspector with the state of ga skills used knowledge of the nec and building codes. ".
Communication skills. A big part of what electrical inspectors do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to electrical inspector responsibilities because "inspectors must be able to explain problems they discover and to write a report that clearly describes their findings." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical electrical inspector tasks: "installed electrical systems for antenna platforms and secured communication vault. "
The three companies that hire the most electrical inspectors are:
- SAFEbuilt8 electrical inspectors jobs
- Intertek7 electrical inspectors jobs
- Carollo Engineers6 electrical inspectors jobs
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Compare different electrical inspectors
Electrical inspector vs. Grade checker
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. Furthermore, as a plans examiner, it is essential to liaise with clients and other officials, maintain records of all transactions, and provide advice on whether the applications are suitable for permits.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an electrical inspector are more likely to require skills like "inspection reports," "electrical equipment," "electrical code," and "electrical installation." On the other hand, a job as a grade checker requires skills like "gps," "grade control," "hand tools," and "highway construction." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that grade checkers earn slightly differ from electrical inspectors. In particular, grade checkers are 7.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an electrical inspector. Additionally, they're 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Electrical inspector vs. Building code administrator
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. They review building plans to ensure their compliance with local ordinances, contract specifications, and building codes. It is their job to keep everyday logs such as inspection photographs. They monitor the construction sites on a periodical basis.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, electrical inspector responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "inspection reports," "electrical equipment," "electrical code," and "electrical installation." Meanwhile, a building code administrator has duties that require skills in areas such as "windows server," "maven," "java," and "build scripts." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, building code administrators achieve higher levels of education than electrical inspectors. They're 7.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Electrical inspector vs. Plans examiner
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, electrical inspectors are more likely to have skills like "inspection reports," "electrical equipment," "electrical installation," and "electrical construction." But a plans examiner is more likely to have skills like "certifications," "customer service," "life safety," and "fire protection."
Plans examiners make a very good living in the government industry with an average annual salary of $57,301. On the other hand, electrical inspectors are paid the highest salary in the construction industry, with average annual pay of $62,550.plans examiners typically earn similar educational levels compared to electrical inspectors. Specifically, they're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Electrical inspector vs. Engineering construction inspector
Even though a few skill sets overlap between electrical inspectors and engineering construction inspectors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an electrical inspector might have more use for skills like "electrical equipment," "electrical code," "electrical installation," and "electrical construction." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of engineering construction inspectors require skills like "construction sites," "asphalt," "aci," and "highway construction. "
Engineering construction inspectors enjoy the best pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $64,268. For comparison, electrical inspectors earn the highest salary in the construction industry.engineering construction inspectors reach similar levels of education compared to electrical inspectors, in general. The difference is that they're 1.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of electrical inspector
Updated January 8, 2025
