Field inspector vs project inspector

The differences between field inspectors and project inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a field inspector and a project inspector. Additionally, a project inspector has an average salary of $68,048, which is higher than the $49,794 average annual salary of a field inspector.

The top three skills for a field inspector include customer service, sketch and inspection reports. The most important skills for a project inspector are construction projects, asphalt, and traffic control.

Field inspector vs project inspector overview

	Field Inspector	Project Inspector
Yearly salary	$49,794	$68,048
Hourly rate	$23.94	$32.72
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	60,866	58,403
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	6	6

Field inspector vs project inspector salary

Field inspectors and project inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Field Inspector	Project Inspector
Average salary	$49,794	$68,048
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $79,000	Between $38,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	Anaheim, CA	Olympia, WA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Cohesity	Colonial Pipeline
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between field inspector and project inspector education

There are a few differences between a field inspector and a project inspector in terms of educational background:

	Field Inspector	Project Inspector
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Business	Civil Engineering
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Field inspector vs project inspector demographics

Here are the differences between field inspectors' and project inspectors' demographics:

	Field Inspector	Project Inspector
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 77.6% Female, 22.4%	Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between field inspector and project inspector duties and responsibilities

Field inspector example responsibilities.

Manage RFI files and records.
Manage and inspect fiber optic cable placement, fiber drop installations and associate construction activities for an assign OSP project.
Conduct tests such as, but not limit to, all common ACI field tests, all common ASTM laboratory tests.
Inspect the exterior and interior, including attach buildings, plumbing, HVAC systems, electrical system, attic and roof.
Perform interior and exterior BPO's.
Utilize ArcMap software to generate GIS mapping.

Project inspector example responsibilities.

Manage third party contractors including safety oversight, environmental design specification compliance, and similar construction specifications and requirements.
Work with OSHA as immediate response of safety issues at nuclear power plants.
Coordinate with designers drawing clarification's and RFI's to ensure contractor work progress.
Verify NCDOT bridge design plans to ensure span lengths, materials, and directions match with WIGINSinformation.
Assist with payroll functions including collecting time sheets, entering time and attendance information into automated database and disbursing paychecks.
Maintain and create engineering blue prints using AutoCAD.

Field inspector vs project inspector skills

Common field inspector skills

Customer Service, 18%
Sketch, 11%
Inspection Reports, 6%
Asphalt, 5%
Ladders, 5%
GPS, 4%

Common project inspector skills

Construction Projects, 12%
Asphalt, 8%
Traffic Control, 8%
Inspection Reports, 7%
DOT, 7%
Construction Management, 7%