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Job outlook for plans examiners in the United States
Are plans examiner jobs in demand?
Plans examiner job and salary trends over time
Plans examiner jobs over time
Plans examiner job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,435 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,386 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,345 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,268 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,203 | 0.00% |
Average plans examiner salary over time
Plans examiner salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $59,697 | $28.70 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $57,655 | $27.72 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | $56,696 | $27.26 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | $56,116 | $26.98 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $55,537 | $26.70 | +2.0% |
Plans examiner jobs by state
Most common states for plans examiners
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 18 | 3% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 15 | 3% |
| 3 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 128 | 2% |
| 4 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 24 | 2% |
| 5 | California | 39,536,653 | 312 | 1% |
| 6 | New York | 19,849,399 | 143 | 1% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 88 | 1% |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 74 | 1% |
| 9 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 74 | 1% |
| 10 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 70 | 1% |
| 11 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 63 | 1% |
| 12 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 46 | 1% |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 40 | 1% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 37 | 1% |
| 15 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 32 | 1% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 27 | 1% |
| 17 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 9 | 1% |
| 18 | Delaware | 961,939 | 8 | 1% |
| 19 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 8 | 1% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 5 | 1% |
Most common cities for plans examiners
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reynoldsburg | 2 | 5% | $51,553 |
| 2 | Margate | 2 | 3% | $43,333 |
| 3 | Atascadero | 1 | 3% | $88,608 |
| 4 | Henderson | 1 | 3% | $40,010 |
| 5 | Schertz | 1 | 3% | $47,049 |
| 6 | Palm Bay | 2 | 2% | $44,697 |
| 7 | Cheyenne | 1 | 2% | $61,804 |
| 8 | Chandler | 2 | 1% | $56,352 |
| 9 | Boynton Beach | 1 | 1% | $43,538 |
| 10 | Johns Creek | 1 | 1% | $42,161 |
| 11 | Jacksonville | 3 | 0% | $45,228 |
| 12 | Sacramento | 2 | 0% | $90,438 |
| 13 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $81,834 |
| 14 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $60,046 |
| 15 | Las Vegas | 1 | 0% | $71,378 |
| 16 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $44,990 |
| 17 | Raleigh | 1 | 0% | $53,446 |
| 18 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $84,461 |
Plans Examiner job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of plans examiner experts
IAEI
L. Keith Lofland
Director of EducationIAEI
What experience really stands out on Plans Examiner resumes?
L. Keith Lofland: Practical hands-on experience as an installer really stands out. In the electrical industry, our "Bible" is the National Electrical Code (NEC). Hiring someone to enforce the requirements of the NEC is greatly enhanced by someone who not only knows and understands these rules but also has hands-on experience in implementing these rules from a practical standpoint.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Plans Examiners?
L. Keith Lofland: Yes (see above). Also, most inspection agencies (either by the state or local requirements) require their electrical inspectors to obtain a certain amount of required continuing education units (CEU) credits per calendar year. In the past, a lot of these CEU credits were obtained with in-person classroom training. The onslaught of the pandemic caused this type of CEU training to turn to webinar deliveries. Even after the pandemic, I believe webinar-type virtual training will continue to grow. There will always be a place for in-person training, but virtual training will easily overtake in-person training in the future.