The average salary for a building inspector in the United States is around $74,690 per year.
Avg Salary
Building inspectors earn an average yearly salary of $74,690.
Wages typically start from $47,140 and go up to $114,200.
13% above national average Updated in 2025
Building inspector earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level building inspector earnings begin at:
$54.91 per hour
$114,200 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level building inspector earnings begin at:
$45.54 per hour
$94,710 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level building inspector earnings begin at:
$35.91 per hour
$74,690 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level building inspector earnings begin at:
$28.30 per hour
$58,860 per year
10th percentile
Starting level building inspector earnings begin at:
$22.66 per hour
$47,140 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Building inspector salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $98,670 |
| Washington | $96,140 |
| Minnesota | $88,670 |
| District of Columbia | $86,200 |
| Oregon | $84,510 |
| Massachusetts | $83,200 |
| New Jersey | $81,760 |
| Colorado | $79,950 |
| New York | $79,460 |
| Hawaii | $79,320 |
| North Dakota | $78,570 |
| Illinois | $78,340 |
| Rhode Island | $77,420 |
| Maryland | $76,640 |
| Montana | $75,700 |
| Virginia | $75,660 |
| Wisconsin | $75,610 |
| Nevada | $75,290 |
| Maine | $74,670 |
| Ohio | $74,490 |
| Utah | $74,130 |
| Arizona | $73,440 |
| Delaware | $72,700 |
| Iowa | $71,630 |
| Michigan | $71,040 |
| Louisiana | $68,260 |
| Florida | $68,170 |
| Vermont | $66,580 |
| North Carolina | $66,080 |
| Georgia | $65,980 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,870 |
| New Hampshire | $65,640 |
| New Mexico | $65,420 |
| Nebraska | $65,000 |
| South Dakota | $64,940 |
| Texas | $64,810 |
| West Virginia | $64,000 |
| Idaho | $63,570 |
| Kansas | $63,150 |
| Missouri | $62,970 |
| Indiana | $62,850 |
| Wyoming | $61,870 |
| Alabama | $61,300 |
| Kentucky | $60,200 |
| Tennessee | $59,870 |
| Oklahoma | $59,280 |
| South Carolina | $58,840 |
| Arkansas | $52,700 |
| Mississippi | $50,250 |
| Guam | $37,840 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,220 |
| Alaska | $102,410 |
| California | $101,290 |
How do building inspector salaries compare to similar careers?
Building inspectors earn 10% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than naval architects but more than crane operators.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Naval architect salary | $112K |
| Architect salary | $99K |
| Urban planner salary | $89K |
| Commercial diver salary | $73K |
| Surveyor salary | $75K |
| Building inspector salary | $75K |
| Interior designer salary | $67K |
| Pipefitter salary | $64K |
| Plumber salary | $64K |
| Crane operator salary | $68K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)