Construction and Building Inspectors Salary
Construction and Building Inspectors in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD make a median of $73,840 a year, or about $35.5 an hour. The range runs from $56K at the entry level to $110K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $70,667 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,857/month, about 38.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $74K get you in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About construction and building inspectors
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What this looks like in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Construction and building inspectors pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson tracks closely to the national median, $74K locally vs. $75K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,857/month, which is 39.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for construction and building inspectors in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park | $75K | $75K |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | $74K | $79K |
| Salisbury | $67K | $70K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $80K | $74K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level construction and building inspectors (10th percentile) start around $56K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $110K or more, a $54K spread from bottom to top.
Construction and Building Inspectors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Construction and Building Inspectors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $102K | +37% | 270 |
| California | $101K | +36% | 13,420 |
| Connecticut | $99K | +32% | 1,430 |
| Washington | $96K | +29% | 3,090 |
| Minnesota | $89K | +19% | 1,390 |
| District of Columbia | $86K | +15% | 370 |
| Oregon | $85K | +13% | 1,780 |
| Massachusetts | $83K | +11% | 4,290 |
| New Jersey | $82K | +9% | 5,950 |
| Colorado | $80K | +7% | 3,700 |
| New York | $79K | +6% | 11,160 |
| Hawaii | $79K | +6% | 710 |
| North Dakota | $79K | +5% | 180 |
| Illinois | $78K | +5% | 2,560 |
| Rhode Island | $77K | +4% | 270 |
| Maryland | $77K | +3% | 2,780 |
| Montana | $76K | +1% | 290 |
| Virginia | $76K | +1% | 6,550 |
| Wisconsin | $76K | +1% | 1,270 |
| Nevada | $75K | +1% | 1,780 |
| Maine | $75K | -0% | 710 |
| Ohio | $74K | -0% | 3,490 |
| Utah | $74K | -1% | 1,240 |
| Arizona | $73K | -2% | 3,330 |
| Delaware | $73K | -3% | 570 |
| Iowa | $72K | -4% | 1,140 |
| Michigan | $71K | -5% | 3,090 |
| Louisiana | $68K | -9% | 1,440 |
| Florida | $68K | -9% | 13,860 |
| Vermont | $67K | -11% | 120 |
| North Carolina | $66K | -12% | 6,490 |
| Georgia | $66K | -12% | 4,510 |
| Pennsylvania | $66K | -12% | 5,320 |
| New Hampshire | $66K | -12% | 420 |
| New Mexico | $65K | -12% | 800 |
| Nebraska | $65K | -13% | 570 |
| South Dakota | $65K | -13% | 200 |
| Texas | $65K | -13% | 18,230 |
| West Virginia | $64K | -14% | 540 |
| Idaho | $64K | -15% | 1,000 |
| Kansas | $63K | -15% | 840 |
| Missouri | $63K | -16% | 1,640 |
| Indiana | $63K | -16% | 2,110 |
| Wyoming | $62K | -17% | 370 |
| Alabama | $61K | -18% | 1,420 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -19% | 1,380 |
| Tennessee | $60K | -20% | 2,500 |
| Oklahoma | $59K | -21% | 2,090 |
| South Carolina | $59K | -21% | 2,500 |
| Arkansas | $53K | -29% | 800 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -33% | 800 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track construction and building inspectors salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a construction and building inspector afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 39.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for construction and building inspectors in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction and building inspectors typically earn — is $56K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,375/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 55% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is construction and building inspector a high-paying job in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $74K locally vs. $75K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for construction and building inspectors?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — below the national median.
How much do construction and building inspectors make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $73,840 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $56,250, and experienced construction and building inspectors can clear $109,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,750/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 39.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a construction and building inspectors salary go in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median construction and building inspectors salary is worth about $70,667 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do construction and building inspectors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.