Construction and Building Inspectors Salary
Construction and Building Inspectors in Helena, MT make a median of $80,830 a year, or about $38.86 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.67), that's roughly $84,488 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,404/month, or 27.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $81K get you in Helena?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Helena’s Regional Price Parity (95.67). 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 Helena
Construction and building inspectors pay in Helena tracks closely to the national median, $81K locally vs. $75K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,404/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.67) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for construction and building inspectors in metros near Helena, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $75K | $80K |
| Bozeman | $97K | $94K |
| Great Falls | $71K | $74K |
| Boise City | $63K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Helena, MT
Entry-level construction and building inspectors (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $28K 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 states
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 Helena?
Yes — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 27.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,404/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for construction and building inspectors in Helena?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction and building inspectors typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,151/month. At HUD’s $1,404/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Helena?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $81K locally vs. $75K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Helena compare to the national average for construction and building inspectors?
Helena pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do construction and building inspectors make in Helena, MT?
The median is $80,830 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,510, and experienced construction and building inspectors can clear $80,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Helena?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,132/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,404/month, which eats 27.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a construction and building inspectors salary go in Helena?
Helena has a Regional Price Parity of 95.67 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median construction and building inspectors salary is worth about $84,488 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.