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Construction and Building Inspectors Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 47-4011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$74,693
$35.91/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Construction and Building Inspectors salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$47K
P25$59K
P50$75K
P75$95K
P90$114K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $74,693 to $94,723 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Construction and Building Inspectors pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 3.6% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · STABLE

Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.4 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.3% per year, holding steady.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Construction and Building Inspectors is $74,693 per year ($35.91/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $58,864 and $94,723 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $114,213 per year. There are approximately 146,720 construction and building inspectors employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Inspect structures using engineering skills to determine structural soundness and compliance with specifications, building codes, and other regulations. Inspections may be general in nature or may be limited to a specific area, such as electrical systems or plumbing.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-0.8%
Little or no change
Annual openings
15K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
148K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
5 years or more
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
54K$73,930
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
47K$75,330
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
NAICS 541900
6K$69,040
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
5K$73,520
Building Equipment Contractors
NAICS 238200
5K$71,150

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$22.66$47,133
P25$28.30$58,864
P50MEDIAN$35.91$74,693
P75$45.54$94,723
P90$54.91$114,213

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.7%
Quits Rate
1.5%

Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average construction and building inspectors salary?

The national median salary for Construction and Building Inspectors is $74,693 per year ($35.91/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $58,864 and $94,723 annually.

How much do top-earning construction and building inspectors make?

The 90th percentile salary for Construction and Building Inspectors is $114,213 per year ($54.91/hr). The 75th percentile is $94,723 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for construction and building inspectors?

Entry-level Construction and Building Inspectors (10th percentile) earn approximately $47,133 per year ($22.66/hr). The 25th percentile is $58,864 per year.

Related Salary Data

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Construction and Building Inspectors Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
Texas18,230 workersFlorida13,860 workersCalifornia13,420 workersNew York11,160 workersVirginia6,550 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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