The average salary for a building inspector in California is around $81,390 per year.
Avg Salary
Building inspectors earn an average yearly salary of $81,390.
Wages typically start from $48,970 and go up to $140,700.
17% above national average Updated in 2021
Building inspector earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level building inspector earnings begin at:
$67.65 per hour
$140,700 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level building inspector earnings begin at:
$49.93 per hour
$103,850 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level building inspector earnings begin at:
$39.13 per hour
$81,390 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level building inspector earnings begin at:
$30.30 per hour
$63,020 per year
10th percentile
Starting level building inspector earnings begin at:
$23.54 per hour
$48,970 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Building inspector salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $81,390 |
| Alaska | $80,160 |
| Washington | $79,390 |
| Connecticut | $79,330 |
| District of Columbia | $78,770 |
| Oregon | $78,600 |
| Minnesota | $78,010 |
| New Jersey | $77,640 |
| Nevada | $76,010 |
| New York | $75,240 |
| Massachusetts | $74,690 |
| Illinois | $66,280 |
| Rhode Island | $62,510 |
| Colorado | $62,210 |
| Delaware | $62,020 |
| Hawaii | $62,020 |
| Texas | $61,990 |
| Iowa | $61,820 |
| North Dakota | $61,820 |
| Arizona | $61,240 |
| Ohio | $61,170 |
| Vermont | $61,040 |
| Wisconsin | $61,040 |
| Florida | $60,670 |
| Maryland | $60,670 |
| Virginia | $60,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,650 |
| Wyoming | $60,570 |
| Montana | $60,550 |
| Maine | $60,040 |
| Nebraska | $60,040 |
| North Carolina | $59,930 |
| New Hampshire | $59,930 |
| Louisiana | $59,460 |
| Michigan | $59,460 |
| South Carolina | $58,630 |
| Idaho | $58,590 |
| Utah | $58,500 |
| West Virginia | $58,060 |
| New Mexico | $57,140 |
| Missouri | $53,610 |
| Georgia | $49,250 |
| Kansas | $49,220 |
| Indiana | $48,820 |
| Alabama | $48,680 |
| Kentucky | $48,620 |
| Tennessee | $48,450 |
| Oklahoma | $48,330 |
| Mississippi | $47,740 |
| South Dakota | $47,680 |
| Arkansas | $47,500 |
| Guam | $37,840 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,220 |
How do building inspector salaries compare to similar careers?
Building inspectors earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than construction managers but more than plumbers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Construction manager salary | $118K |
| Naval architect salary | $100K |
| Architect salary | $99K |
| Surveyor salary | $98K |
| Urban planner salary | $98K |
| Building inspector salary | $81K |
| Crane operator salary | $76K |
| Electrician salary | $71K |
| Pipefitter salary | $62K |
| Plumber salary | $62K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)