Construction and Building Inspectors
Also called: Building Code Administrator, Building Inspector, Building Official, Construction InspectorInspect 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.
On a phone, press and hold a picture to save it to Photos.
opens your phone's share sheet, where you can save both to Photos
What the data says: AI could halve the time on 5 of its 19 tasks, and jobs are projected to hold steady to 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
BLS figures cover the broader occupation “Construction and building inspectors”, which includes this one and others.
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.4% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 42% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,300 | $51,120 to $74,870 | 1,420 |
| Alaska | $102,410 | $80,560 to $121,250 | 270 |
| Arizona | $73,440 | $62,320 to $86,760 | 3,330 |
| Arkansas | $52,700 | $46,280 to $66,560 | 800 |
| California | $101,290 | $76,160 to $128,530 | 13,420 |
| Colorado | $79,950 | $65,740 to $98,280 | 3,700 |
| Connecticut | $98,670 | $79,140 to $115,100 | 1,430 |
| Delaware | $72,700 | $61,970 to $81,400 | 570 |
| District of Columbia | $86,200 | $76,130 to $109,920 | 370 |
| Florida | $68,170 | $54,080 to $83,390 | 13,860 |
| Georgia | $65,980 | $54,620 to $80,340 | 4,510 |
| Guam | $51,710 | $42,760 to $68,800 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $79,320 | $66,720 to $94,570 | 710 |
| Idaho | $63,570 | $56,680 to $83,600 | 1,000 |
| Illinois | $78,340 | $59,660 to $100,030 | 2,560 |
| Indiana | $62,850 | $50,740 to $79,490 | 2,110 |
| Iowa | $71,630 | $60,720 to $82,150 | 1,140 |
| Kansas | $63,150 | $56,290 to $78,720 | 840 |
| Kentucky | $60,200 | $46,410 to $79,550 | 1,380 |
| Louisiana | $68,260 | $59,670 to $81,460 | 1,440 |
| Maine | $74,670 | $61,490 to $81,410 | 710 |
| Maryland | $76,640 | $63,530 to $94,160 | 2,780 |
| Massachusetts | $83,200 | $65,730 to $104,030 | 4,290 |
| Michigan | $71,040 | $60,680 to $82,510 | 3,090 |
| Minnesota | $88,670 | $78,030 to $100,890 | 1,390 |
| Mississippi | $50,250 | $42,660 to $65,350 | 800 |
| Missouri | $62,970 | $52,040 to $76,210 | 1,640 |
| Montana | $75,700 | $61,110 to $84,240 | 290 |
| Nebraska | $65,000 | $51,880 to $79,540 | 570 |
| Nevada | $75,290 | $61,730 to $97,730 | 1,780 |
| New Hampshire | $65,640 | $55,680 to $80,160 | 420 |
| New Jersey | $81,760 | $63,520 to $104,690 | 5,950 |
| New Mexico | $65,420 | $58,700 to $79,230 | 800 |
| New York | $79,460 | $61,920 to $103,960 | 11,160 |
| North Carolina | $66,080 | $56,030 to $79,430 | 6,490 |
| North Dakota | $78,570 | $66,370 to $89,660 | 180 |
| Ohio | $74,490 | $62,150 to $82,830 | 3,490 |
| Oklahoma | $59,280 | $46,330 to $76,400 | 2,090 |
| Oregon | $84,510 | $72,300 to $102,760 | 1,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,870 | $57,860 to $78,830 | 5,320 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,320 | $31,640 to $58,030 | 740 |
| Rhode Island | $77,420 | $63,520 to $96,670 | 270 |
| South Carolina | $58,840 | $45,370 to $74,060 | 2,500 |
| South Dakota | $64,940 | $53,480 to $78,410 | 200 |
| Tennessee | $59,870 | $48,430 to $73,320 | 2,500 |
| Texas | $64,810 | $50,560 to $80,370 | 18,230 |
| Utah | $74,130 | $60,070 to $84,240 | 1,240 |
| Vermont | $66,580 | $60,320 to $82,180 | 120 |
| Virginia | $75,660 | $60,870 to $88,340 | 6,550 |
| Washington | $96,140 | $77,480 to $105,300 | 3,090 |
| West Virginia | $64,000 | $47,100 to $91,520 | 540 |
| Wisconsin | $75,610 | $58,450 to $87,980 | 1,270 |
| Wyoming | $61,870 | $42,970 to $79,140 | 370 |
Nationally: $74,690. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 5 of its 19 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Review and interpret plans, blueprints, site layouts, specifications, or construction methods to ensure compliance to legal requirements and safety regulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Confer with owners, violators, or authorities to explain regulations or recommend remedial actions. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect bridges, dams, highways, buildings, wiring, plumbing, electrical circuits, sewers, heating systems, or foundations during and after construction for structural quality, general safety, or conformance to specifications and codes. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor installation of plumbing, wiring, equipment, or appliances to ensure that installation is performed properly and is in compliance with applicable regulations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain daily logs and supplement inspection records with photographs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Approve building plans that meet required specifications. | Not published |
See all 19 tasks
| AI + software | Inspect and monitor construction sites to ensure adherence to safety standards, building codes, or specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct inspections, using survey instruments, metering devices, tape measures, or test equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Train, direct, or supervise other construction inspectors. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure dimensions and verify level, alignment, or elevation of structures or fixtures to ensure compliance to building plans and codes. | Not published |
| Not much | Issue permits for construction, relocation, demolition, or occupancy. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor construction activities to ensure that environmental regulations are not violated. | Not published |
| AI + software | Evaluate project details to ensure adherence to environmental regulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct environmental hazard inspections to identify or quantify problems, such as asbestos, poor air quality, water contamination, or other environmental hazards. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect facilities or installations to determine their environmental impact. | Not published |
| Not much | Evaluate premises for cleanliness, such as proper garbage disposal or lack of vermin infestation. | Not published |
| AI + software | Estimate cost of completed work or of needed renovations or upgrades. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine lifting or conveying devices, such as elevators, escalators, moving sidewalks, hoists, inclined railways, ski lifts, or amusement rides to ensure safety and proper functioning. | Not published |
| Not much | Sample and test air to identify gasses, such as bromine, ozone, or sulfur dioxide, or particulates, such as mold, dust, or allergens. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 19 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 19 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Authorize business activities or transactions | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures |
Show all 15 activities
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Estimate project development or operational costs | |||
| Assess characteristics of land or property | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Direct construction or extraction activities | |||
| Test sites or materials for environmental hazards |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An analysis or summary24%
- A document or report22%
- Advice or a recommendation18%
- Data or a spreadsheet13%
- An explanation or answer9%
How they worked with Claude
47% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for construction and building inspectors specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 25,908 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 6%
- 3 Construction Managers High +9.1% 4%
- 4 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 3%
- 5 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 37,001 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 3 Construction Managers High +9.1% 3%
- 4 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 3%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 36% high school
- 36% postsecondary certificate
- 4% some college
- 4% associate's
- 16% bachelor's
- 4% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 25 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 3% less than high school
- 28% high school
- 28% some college
- 14% associate's
- 22% bachelor's
- 3% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,186 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>80% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 6 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Construction and Building Inspectors” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/47-4011.00