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Utility inspector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a utility inspector. Utility inspectors usually study business, general studies, or construction management. 33% of utility inspectors hold a high school diploma, and 29% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,684 real utility inspector resumes to see exactly what utility inspector education sections show.

The most common colleges for utility inspectors are the University of Louisiana at Monroe and the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

There are also many online utility inspector courses to help get the education required to be a utility inspector.

There are certain utility inspector certifications that you should consider. These utility inspector certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Welding Inspector (CWI).

What education do you need to become a utility inspector?

What degree do you need to be a utility inspector?

The most common degree for utility inspectors is high school diploma, with 33% of utility inspectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 29% and bachelor's degree degree at 25%.
  • High School Diploma, 33%
  • Bachelor's, 29%
  • Associate, 25%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a utility inspector?

You should major in business to become a utility inspector. 23% of utility inspectors major in business. Other common majors for a utility inspector include general studies and construction management.

Most common colleges for utility inspectors

Utility inspectors often get their degrees at University of Louisiana at Monroe, University of Phoenix, and Oklahoma State University. Here are the most common colleges for utility inspectors in the US based on their resumes.
Utility inspector common collegePercentages
University of Louisiana at Monroe12.00%
University of Phoenix9.33%
Oklahoma State University9.33%
Sam Houston State University6.67%
University of Houston6.67%

Best majors for utility inspectors

Best colleges for utility inspectors

The best colleges for utility inspectors are Purdue University, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and Southern Utah University.

A utility inspector with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for utility inspectors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become utility inspectors.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

4. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$15,887

Enrollment

23,202

5. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Enrollment

1,350

6. Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$22,046

Enrollment

1,294

7. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$33,950

Enrollment

4,254

8. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

9. Bemidji State University

Bemidji, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,696

Enrollment

4,308

20 best online courses for utility inspectors

Advertising disclosure

1. React and Typescript: Utility Types and Template Literals

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By the end of this course you will be able to start working with utility types and template literals in React applications. We will start by focusing on the core utility types reinforced by code examples which start off simple to drill the concepts, and toward the end we gradually increase the complexity and variety of real world examples of higher order component logic utility. This course is aimed at developers who are familiar with React in general and Typescript specifically, understand the...

2. OSHA Safety Training: Conducting Safety Meetings

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A Brief Safety Management Course for Current and Aspiring Safety Professionals...

3. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

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4. OSHA Safety Pro: Deadly Concrete Dust. Crystalline Silica.

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OSHA's General, Construction, and Maritime Industries Hazard Prevention and Safety Standard...

5. OSHA Safety Pro: Trenching Excavation & Soil Mechanics

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A quick yet detailed certification in OSHA safety with a focus on Trenching, Excavation, & Soil Mechanics...

6. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

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Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

7. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management

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A Workplace Safety Management Course for Current and Future Safety Professionals...

8. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

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9. Basic Certificate in Health Safety & Environment-HSE Level 2

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10. Fire Safety: Become A Fire Safety Expert

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Managing Fire Safety in Workplace...

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Learn Oracle utilities to move data from one database to another...

14. OSHA Safety Pro: Hearing Protection Program

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Your guide to preventing hearing loss using OSHA's Occupational Noise Exposure Standards...

15. Basic Fire Safety Awareness

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16. NEBOSH health and safety Management System

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It Shows the Start point to Build your Health & safety Career and how to Join the field and becoming HSE Specialist...

17. Occupational Health & Safety Training

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Workplace Health and Safety Course For Employees & Managers...

18. Process Safety Management, Standard-Based Approach

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4.3
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Gain the academic knowledge about the PSM system from a standard prespective...

19. Fun food safety and sanitation course

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4.6
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The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

20. Refresher course of Safety Management Systems

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4.7
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A quick overview for aviation managers and safety professionals about basic concepts and philosophy of SMS...

Top 10 most affordable universities for utility inspectors

The most affordable schools for utility inspectors are Purdue University, southern utah university, and university of new mexico.

If the best universities for utility inspectors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for utility inspectors.

1. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

2. Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$6,770

Cost of attendance

19,636

3. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

4. Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,326

Cost of attendance

17,330

5. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Cost of attendance

16,853

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Cost of attendance

23,713

7. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Cost of attendance

26,669

8. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Cost of attendance

17,885

9. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,389

Cost of attendance

22,302

10. Utah State University

Logan, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$8,138

Cost of attendance

18,531

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for utility inspectors

The hardest universities for utility inspectors to get into are Purdue University, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and Southern Utah University.

Some great schools for utility inspectors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for utility inspectors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,336

3. Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,183

4. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,302

5. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,120

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,071

7. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,183

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

Admissions rate

35%

SAT average

1,213

9. Utah State University

Logan, UT • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,201

10. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

997

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for utility inspectors

The easiest schools for utility inspectors to get into are SUNY College of Technology at Canton, southern utah university, and purdue university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a utility inspector without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for utility inspectors.

1. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

997

2. Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,183

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

4. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,120

5. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,071

6. Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,111

7. Northern Michigan University

Marquette, MI • Private

Admissions rate

66%

SAT average

1,091

8. Utah State University

Logan, UT • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,201

9. Montana State University - Bozeman

Bozeman, MT • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,205

10. Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

76%

SAT average

1,183

Average utility inspector salary by education level

Utility inspectors with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $45,240 annually. With a Associate degree, utility inspectors earn a median annual income of $44,187 compared to $43,509 for utility inspectors with an High School Diploma degree.
Utility inspector education levelUtility inspector salary
High School Diploma or Less$43,509
Bachelor's Degree$45,240
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,187

Utility inspector education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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