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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Construction and Building Inspectors

Part of Government & Public Administration, in the Regulation pathway.

Job zone 3: medium preparationO*NET 47-4011.00

What the work is

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.

On a typical day

  • 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.
  • Maintain daily logs and supplement inspection records with photographs.
  • Review and interpret plans, blueprints, site layouts, specifications, or construction methods to ensure compliance to legal requirements and safety regulations.
  • Inspect and monitor construction sites to ensure adherence to safety standards, building codes, or specifications.
  • Measure dimensions and verify level, alignment, or elevation of structures or fixtures to ensure compliance to building plans and codes.
  • Issue permits for construction, relocation, demolition, or occupancy.

What it pays

$62,110
Median pay per year, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro
New workers start near $47,550
Experienced workers reach $101,950
  1. $48k10th
  2. $51k25th
  3. $62kMedian
  4. $77k75th
  5. $102k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $47,550, 25th $51,450, Median $62,110, 75th $77,490, 90th $101,950

About 1,450 people do this job in the San Antonio area.

Job outlook

Alamo region (Bexar and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034. U.S. figures from the BLS for comparison.

+6.5%

employment change in the Alamo region, 1,482 to 1,579 jobs · U.S. -1%

165

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 14,800

1,482

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 147,600

Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent · Experience: 5 years or more · Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Reading Comprehension4.0
  2. Critical Thinking3.9
  3. Active Listening3.9
  4. Speaking3.9
  5. Judgment and Decision Making3.4
  6. Complex Problem Solving3.0
  7. Time Management3.3
  8. Systems Evaluation3.0

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. High school or less36%
  2. Certificate36%
  3. Some college4%
  4. Associate degree4%
  5. Bachelor's degree16%
  6. Master's degree4%

Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

No Alamo program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

Browse all programs

Does this fit you?

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