Plans examiner vs code inspector

The differences between plans examiners and code 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 plans examiner and a code inspector. Additionally, a plans examiner has an average salary of $59,697, which is higher than the $49,224 average annual salary of a code inspector.

The top three skills for a plans examiner include plumbing, customer service and life safety. The most important skills for a code inspector are code violations, plumbing, and patrol.

Plans examiner vs code inspector overview

	Plans Examiner	Code Inspector
Yearly salary	$59,697	$49,224
Hourly rate	$28.70	$23.67
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	4,018	16,664
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	6	6

Plans examiner vs code inspector salary

Plans examiners and code inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plans Examiner	Code Inspector
Average salary	$59,697	$49,224
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $85,000	Between $33,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Fairfield, CA	Oxnard, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Icma-rc	Arlington County, VA
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between plans examiner and code inspector education

There are a few differences between a plans examiner and a code inspector in terms of educational background:

	Plans Examiner	Code Inspector
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Architecture	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	San Diego State University

Plans examiner vs code inspector demographics

Here are the differences between plans examiners' and code inspectors' demographics:

	Plans Examiner	Code Inspector
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3%	Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between plans examiner and code inspector duties and responsibilities

Plans examiner example responsibilities.

Manage high volume case assignments to a final disposition of abatement, civil summons, criminal arrests or referral.
Issue permits to trade contractors for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and building construction work.
Determine if licensee is compliant with the BSA, AML, UCC and NACHA operating rules.
Certify FBI digital evidence extraction technician.
Inspect HVAC system and insulation.
Ensure compliance with all applicable ADA and OSHA safety regulations.

Code inspector example responsibilities.

Manage high volume case assignments to a final disposition of abatement, civil summons, criminal arrests or referral.
Train newly hire plumbing inspectors with obtaining knowledge of WSSC policies and procedures.
Produce quality notifications on installation procedures and vendor products in order to meet engineering criteria and FAA guidelines.
Appear in court for subpoenas regarding citations issues.
Conduct investigation inspection on HUD construct manufactured homes.

Plans examiner vs code inspector skills

Common plans examiner skills

Plumbing, 15%
Customer Service, 13%
Life Safety, 7%
Fire Protection, 5%
Community Development, 5%
International Building, 5%

Common code inspector skills

Code Violations, 12%
Plumbing, 8%
Patrol, 7%
Building Codes, 7%
Life Safety, 6%
City Codes, 6%