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Inspector vs construction inspector

The differences between inspectors and construction inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a construction inspector has an average salary of $52,306, which is higher than the $38,757 average annual salary of an inspector.

The top three skills for an inspector include sketch, good communication and magnetic particle. The most important skills for a construction inspector are asphalt, ACI, and construction inspection.

Inspector vs construction inspector overview

InspectorConstruction Inspector
Yearly salary$38,757$52,306
Hourly rate$18.63$25.15
Growth rate-3%-4%
Number of jobs17,67042,007
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age4550
Years of experience-6

What does an inspector do?

An inspector is responsible for overseeing the overall condition of the site, ensuring that it complies with the safety standards and regulations. Inspectors' duties include monitoring the quality of the materials used, inspecting any defects and discrepancies that might compromise the operations, generating reports to assess the product costing if it meets the budget goals, and utilizing available resources in the market for the highest quality project. An inspector must have excellent decision-making and critical-thinking skills to perform comprehensive actions on risk management and service delivery.

What does a construction inspector do?

A construction inspector is an individual who is responsible for inspecting construction sites to ensure that these sites are following local and building codes and ordinances, zoning regulations, and contract specifications. Construction inspectors use survey equipment, metering devices, and test equipment to perform inspections of plumbing, electrical and other systems within the construction. They approve building plans that are satisfactory and issue violation notices and stop orders when there are violations. Construction inspectors also keep photographs taken during inspections and provide written documentation.

Inspector vs construction inspector salary

Inspectors and construction inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

InspectorConstruction Inspector
Average salary$38,757$52,306
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $54,000Between $36,000 And $75,000
Highest paying CityVancouver, WAOakland, CA
Highest paying stateLouisianaCalifornia
Best paying companyLos Alamos National LaboratoryOrange County Sanitation District
Best paying industryAutomotiveProfessional

Differences between inspector and construction inspector education

There are a few differences between an inspector and a construction inspector in terms of educational background:

InspectorConstruction Inspector
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common majorBusinessCivil Engineering
Most common college-San Diego State University

Inspector vs construction inspector demographics

Here are the differences between inspectors' and construction inspectors' demographics:

InspectorConstruction Inspector
Average age4550
Gender ratioMale, 61.7% Female, 38.3%Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 8.1% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage4%5%

Differences between inspector and construction inspector duties and responsibilities

Inspector example responsibilities.

  • Follow all regulations including OSHA, safety, PPE, JSA and ISO.
  • Deliver thorough QA testing reports that determine product quality and release readiness.
  • Operate and maintain laboratory testing equipment; micrometers, calipers and air gauges to analyze material for conformance to product specifications.
  • Utilize maps and GPS and markers when need
  • Require knowledge of all safety measures and JSA's.
  • Shovel inspector for two 2300 MKII's and 7495 CAT/Bucyrus shovels.
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Construction inspector example responsibilities.

  • Manage cad files and plotting operations, as cad manager.
  • Monitor new field inspector's performance and lead them into Bechtel's management program.
  • Manage and inspect fiber optic cable placement, fiber drop installations and associate construction activities for an assign OSP project.
  • Coordinate, manage, and conduct geotechnical engineering and engineering geology subsurface investigations.
  • Comply with fra, dot, osha.
  • Assist in running pigs and tie-ins.
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Inspector vs construction inspector skills

Common inspector skills
  • Sketch, 7%
  • Good Communication, 7%
  • Magnetic Particle, 6%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Calipers, 6%
  • Safety Standards, 5%
Common construction inspector skills
  • Asphalt, 9%
  • ACI, 8%
  • Construction Inspection, 8%
  • Construction Projects, 7%
  • Construction Management, 6%
  • Traffic Control, 6%

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