Construction and Building Inspector Career
If you enjoy checking that rules are followed and working to protect people, you may want to consider a career as a construction and building inspector. These inspectors make sure that construction projects meet local and national building ordinances and codes, zoning requirements, and contract specifications.
If you choose to be a construction and building inspector, you might review building plans to make sure they meet all specifications and monitor construction sites occasionally to ensure overall compliance. You might work with survey instruments, test equipment and metering devices as part of your regular inspections.
Construction and Building Inspector Career Snapshot
About half of all inspectors are employed by the government with others working in the architectural, engineering, and related services industries. About 10 percent are self-employed. If you are a construction and building inspector, you might spend most of your time at work sites and a smaller part of your time reviewing blueprints, composing reports, and scheduling inspections. Most inspectors work alone, but some may work as part of a team on complex construction projects.
Further details on a career as a construction and building inspector are listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the average annual salary for construction and building inspectors.
increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have a Post-secondary certificate while 25% have a Bachelor’s degree.
Construction/Building Inspector Education
About one-quarter of construction and building inspectors have earned a post-secondary certificate with another quarter earning a bachelor’s degree.
Construction/Building Inspector Job Duties
If you are an inspector, you might spend your days inspecting plumbing and electrical systems or verifying that the level and elevation of buildings meet code specifications. You may need to issue violation notices or order that work be stopped if codes are not met. Inspectors often have to keep daily logs and photographs to document compliance and violations they discover. People want to work and live in safe areas, so if you choose to be an inspector, you are playing a significant role in ensuring that happens. You would be responsible for examining buildings, sewer and water systems, highways and streets, electrical systems, heating systems and many other systems that surround people every day.
Construction/Building Inspector Salaries
Construction and building inspectors earned on average about $57,340 per year according to BLS.gov 2015 reports. The overall salary range falls between $34,800 and $91,600 per year.
Construction/Building Inspector Job Outlook
The employment rate for construction and building inspectors is expected to grow about 8 percent from 2014 to 2024. The public continues to demand safe and improved construction throughout communities, which will play a role in increased demand.
Construction and Building Inspector Skills & Traits
| Construction/Building Inspector Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Construction/Building Inspectors: | Typical Work Activities: |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Active Listening • Reading Comprehension • Critical Thinking • Speaking • Complex Problem Solving | • Inductive Reasoning • Problem Sensitivity • Deductive Reasoning • Oral Comprehension • Oral Expression | • Circuit tester • GFI circuit testers • Automatic levels • Liquid leak detectors • Clamp-on multimeters | • Getting Information • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material • Evaluating Information • Documenting Information • Using Relevant Knowledge |
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