Public works inspector vs construction inspector

The differences between public works inspectors and construction inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a public works inspector, becoming a construction inspector takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a construction inspector has an average salary of $52,306, which is higher than the $48,864 average annual salary of a public works inspector.

The top three skills for a public works inspector include asphalt, construction projects and traffic control. The most important skills for a construction inspector are asphalt, ACI, and construction inspection.

Public works inspector vs construction inspector overview

	Public Works Inspector	Construction Inspector
Yearly salary	$48,864	$52,306
Hourly rate	$23.49	$25.15
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	24,660	42,007
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	46	50
Years of experience	12	6

Public works inspector vs construction inspector salary

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

	Public Works Inspector	Construction Inspector
Average salary	$48,864	$52,306
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $84,000	Between $36,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	San Bruno, CA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Willdan	Orange County Sanitation District
Best paying industry	Government	Professional

Differences between public works inspector and construction inspector education

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

	Public Works Inspector	Construction Inspector
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Business	Civil Engineering
Most common college	-	San Diego State University

Public works inspector vs construction inspector demographics

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

	Public Works Inspector	Construction Inspector
Average age	46	50
Gender ratio	Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4%	Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 7.6% White, 60.9% 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 Percentage	12%	5%

Differences between public works inspector and construction inspector duties and responsibilities

Public works inspector example responsibilities.

Coordinate, manage, and conduct geotechnical engineering and engineering geology subsurface investigations.
Inspect all new construct ion city public works projects, including water, sewer, asphalt, and concrete.
Provide QA-QC on GIS files.
Coordinate with the contractor and enforces safety rule and regulation according to OSHA.
Work consist of calibration and installation of many electronic transmitters used in monitoring power boiler operations.
Verify quantities for contract change orders and progress payments, and review submittals per contract, and RFI's.

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.

Public works inspector vs construction inspector skills

Common public works inspector skills

Asphalt, 13%
Construction Projects, 12%
Traffic Control, 9%
Public Works, 8%
Construction Sites, 7%
Construction Methods, 6%

Common construction inspector skills

Asphalt, 9%
ACI, 8%
Construction Inspection, 8%
Construction Projects, 7%
Construction Management, 6%
Traffic Control, 6%

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Public Works Inspector vs Construction Inspector

Updated January 8, 2025

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