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Building Inspection

Types of Degrees Building Inspection Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Building Inspection can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	55
Associate’s Degree	77
Master’s Degree	172

What Building Inspection Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Building Inspection emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Building Inspection graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Building Inspection emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Building Inspection program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Building Inspection careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Building Inspection graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.8 / 7
Processing Information	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Building Inspection professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Oracle Primavera Systems	Project management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Building Inspection graduates include:

• Service Supervisor
• Masonry Supervisor
• Sign Builder Supervisor
• Insulation Supervisor
• Swimming Pool Maintenance Supervisor
• Bailer Operators’ Supervisor
• Tankage Supervisor
• Road Supervisor
• House Mover Supervisor
• Drilling Superintendent
• Reclamation Supervisor
• Quarry Boss
• Wood Boat Builder Supervisor
• Brick Chimney Supervisor
• Segmental Paving Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Building Inspection graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	34.8%
Postsecondary certificate	25.2%
Bachelor’s degree	13.0%
Less than a high school diploma	12.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.5%
Some college courses	5.8%
Master’s degree	1.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Building Inspection?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 83% of Building Inspection degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	53	17.0%
Men	259	83.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Building Inspection graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	128	41.0%
Asian	15	4.8%
Hispanic or Latino	125	40.1%
Black or African American	21	6.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	1.0%
Two or More Races	10	3.2%
Race Unknown	8	2.6%
International Students	2	0.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Building Inspection Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Building Inspection graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,822
4 years	$32,489
5 years	$37,102

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $37,102 — roughly 10% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Building Inspection Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Building Inspection. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Building Inspection Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Building Inspection graduates earn a median of $32,489 four years after completion — about 15% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Electrician	30,349
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection	6,978
Carpentry/Carpenter	5,356
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	2,780
Construction Trades	2,761
Building/Property Maintenance	2,023
Building Construction Technology/Technician	1,924
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	1,530
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection, Other	733
Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter	613
Mason/Masonry	378
Drywall Installation/Drywaller	254

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.