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The average salary for a bridge inspector is approximately $52,316 per year, translating to about $25 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific employer.
Bridge inspectors can expect to see salary increases as they gain experience. Entry-level positions may start around $40,000, while seasoned professionals can earn upwards of $70,000 annually.
States such as California, Texas, and New York tend to offer higher salaries, reflecting the demand for skilled inspectors in urban areas. For instance, in California, the average salary can exceed $65,000.
Bridge inspectors work for a variety of employers, including government agencies and private engineering firms. As infrastructure projects continue to grow, the demand for qualified bridge inspectors is expected to increase, offering promising career paths.
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The highest-paying states for bridge inspectors are Washington, Montana, and Massachusetts. The lowest average bridge inspector salary states are South Dakota, Georgia, and Louisiana.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | $71,934 | $34.58 |
| 2 | Maine | $64,907 | $31.21 |
| 3 | Nevada | $63,420 | $30.49 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $68,463 | $32.91 |
| 5 | Vermont | $61,829 | $29.73 |
| 6 | Washington | $75,056 | $36.08 |
| 7 | Colorado | $64,018 | $30.78 |
| 8 | Oregon | $66,651 | $32.04 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $59,460 | $28.59 |
| 10 | New York | $64,908 | $31.21 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $63,598 | $30.58 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $68,062 | $32.72 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $58,596 | $28.17 |
| 14 | California | $63,246 | $30.41 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $62,171 | $29.89 |
| 16 | Iowa | $58,844 | $28.29 |
| 17 | Delaware | $64,345 | $30.94 |
| 18 | Kansas | $58,736 | $28.24 |
| 19 | Michigan | $56,503 | $27.16 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $56,671 | $27.25 |
| 21 | Alaska | $61,950 | $29.78 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $57,417 | $27.60 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $56,730 | $27.27 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $49,893 | $23.99 |
| 25 | Texas | $51,264 | $24.65 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $49,582 | $23.84 |
| 27 | Florida | $50,697 | $24.37 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $54,061 | $25.99 |
| 29 | Ohio | $48,497 | $23.32 |
| 30 | Arizona | $50,554 | $24.30 |
| 31 | Missouri | $51,716 | $24.86 |
| 32 | Alabama | $49,870 | $23.98 |
| 33 | Maryland | $51,621 | $24.82 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $48,700 | $23.41 |
| 35 | Idaho | $48,929 | $23.52 |
| 36 | Illinois | $53,314 | $25.63 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $46,443 | $22.33 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $46,086 | $22.16 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $49,467 | $23.78 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $59,211 | $28.47 |
| 41 | Indiana | $43,574 | $20.95 |
| 42 | Virginia | $46,503 | $22.36 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $48,678 | $23.40 |
| 44 | Georgia | $42,295 | $20.33 |
| 45 | Utah | $46,378 | $22.30 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $42,968 | $20.66 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $39,223 | $18.86 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $37,329 | $17.95 |
| 49 | District of Columbia | $47,796 | $22.98 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $41,752 | $20.07 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $40,497 | $19.47 |
The highest-paying cities for bridge inspectors are Olympia, WA, Boston, MA, and Salem, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympia, WA | $76,126 | $36.60 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $68,315 | $32.84 |
| 3 | Salem, OR | $66,849 | $32.14 |
| 4 | Oakland, CA | $65,891 | $31.68 |
| 5 | Reno, NV | $65,304 | $31.40 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $65,085 | $31.29 |
| 7 | Milwaukee, WI | $56,846 | $27.33 |
| 8 | Laurel, MD | $51,573 | $24.79 |
| 9 | Pinellas Park, FL | $50,963 | $24.50 |
| 10 | Plano, TX | $50,960 | $24.50 |
| 11 | Mobile, AL | $50,499 | $24.28 |
| 12 | New Bern, NC | $49,641 | $23.87 |
| 13 | Providence, RI | $49,403 | $23.75 |
| 14 | Lincoln, NE | $48,658 | $23.39 |
| 15 | Virginia Beach, VA | $46,646 | $22.43 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $46,496 | $22.35 |
| 17 | Columbia, SC | $46,480 | $22.35 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $42,312 | $20.34 |
| 19 | Lafayette, LA | $41,919 | $20.15 |
A bridge inspector's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $82,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| 75th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
| Average | $52,316 | $4,360 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
The highest paying types of bridge inspectors are building code administrator, project inspector, and construction supervisor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Foreman | $48,517 | $4,043 | $23.33 | 49,875 |
| Construction Supervisor | $62,881 | $5,240 | $30.23 | 32,487 |
| Carpenter Foreman | $58,922 | $4,910 | $28.33 | 23,060 |
| Concrete Finisher | $40,674 | $3,389 | $19.55 | 15,309 |
| Engineering Construction Inspector | $51,630 | $4,303 | $24.82 | 95,430 |
| Construction Inspector | $52,306 | $4,359 | $25.15 | 42,007 |
Top companies hiring bridge inspectors now:
Bridge inspector salaries at Parsons and CDM Smith are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average bridge inspector salary at companies like Volkert and Jacobs Engineering Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parsons | $86,529 | $41.60 |
| 2 | CDM Smith | $82,074 | $39.46 |
| 3 | Volkert | $78,827 | $37.90 |
| 4 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $78,098 | $37.55 |
| 5 | RS&H | $76,029 | $36.55 |
| 6 | Stantec | $69,737 | $33.53 |
| 7 | Gannett Fleming | $68,689 | $33.02 |
| 8 | ATCS | $67,372 | $32.39 |
| 9 | HDR | $67,317 | $32.36 |
| 10 | AECOM | $66,951 | $32.19 |
| 11 | Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson Inc | $66,847 | $32.14 |
| 12 | Wsp USA Buildings Inc. | $65,981 | $31.72 |
| 13 | KCI Technologies | $65,890 | $31.68 |
| 14 | Genesee & Wyoming | $64,923 | $31.21 |
| 15 | TranSystems | $64,823 | $31.16 |
| 16 | S&ME | $64,652 | $31.08 |
| 17 | Michael Baker | $64,484 | $31.00 |
| 18 | Moffatt & Nichol | $63,754 | $30.65 |
| 19 | Canadian Pacific Railway | $58,457 | $28.10 |
| 20 | TRC Companies | $57,176 | $27.49 |
The average bridge inspector salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $62,190 | $29.90 |
| 2 | Transportation | $58,270 | $28.01 |
| 3 | Professional | $56,270 | $27.05 |
| 4 | Government | $50,894 | $24.47 |
The average bridge inspector salary has risen by $8,056 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average bridge inspector earned $44,260 annually, but today, they earn $52,316 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for bridge inspectors over the last decade.
Compare bridge inspector salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare bridge inspector salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,300 | $25.15 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $50,500 | $24.29 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $49,700 | $23.89 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $49,200 | $23.64 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | $48,700 | $23.40 | +1.9% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parsons | CEI Roadway/Bridge Inspector | Saint Augustine, FL | 06/20/2025 | $54,784 |
| Stvinc | Bridge Inspector Team Leader | Philadelphia, PA | 06/20/2025 | $78,005 |
| Aecom | Highway Bridge Inspector | New York, NY | 06/19/2025 | $90,412 |
| Texas Department of Transportation | Underwater Bridge Inspector I, II, or III-Bridge Division | Austin, TX | 06/19/2025 | $65,104 |
| Stantec Inc. | Bridge Inspector Team Leader | New York, NY | 06/18/2025 | $111,300 |
| Stantec Inc. | Bridge Inspector Team Leader | Rochelle Park, NJ | 06/18/2025 | $111,300 |
| The Alpha Group | Bridge Inspector Team Lead | Boston, MA | 06/09/2025 | $85,000 |
| State of North Carolina | Bridge Inspector II | Raleigh, NC | 05/30/2025 | $43,738 |
| Stvinc | Bridge Inspection, Bridge Rating, Design | Boston, MA | 05/27/2025 | $109,772 |
| Stvinc | Bridge Inspector Team Leader | Philadelphia, PA | 05/27/2025 | $78,005 |
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