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The differences between home inspectors and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a home inspector, becoming a general contractor takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a general contractor has an average salary of $66,602, which is higher than the $51,264 average annual salary of a home inspector.
The top three skills for a home inspector include crawl spaces, pest control and plumbing. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
| Home Inspector | General Contractor | |
| Yearly salary | $51,264 | $66,602 |
| Hourly rate | $24.65 | $32.02 |
| Growth rate | -4% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 55,491 | 66,218 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 50 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 8 |
A home inspector is primarily in charge of performing inspections and assessments to identify problem areas and potential risks. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their line of work or company of employment, it usually includes studying and assessing the structural elements of houses such as its floors and ceilings, testing the alarm or fire detecting equipment, inspecting drainage and pipe systems, and checking appliances should there be any. Moreover, a home inspector produces detailed reports along with recommendations to help the clients in making decisions.
The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement. They provide the material, equipment, labor, and services for a construction project. Often, they hire specialized subcontractors who will be working on some part of the construction work. They should have attained a bachelor's or associate's degree in construction management. Their experience in the industry is highly coveted.
Home inspectors and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Home Inspector | General Contractor | |
| Average salary | $51,264 | $66,602 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $82,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a home inspector and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
| Home Inspector | General Contractor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | San Diego State University | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between home inspectors' and general contractors' demographics:
| Home Inspector | General Contractor | |
| Average age | 50 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.7% Female, 14.3% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 3.4% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |