Construction and Building Inspectors Salary
Construction and Building Inspectors in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ make a median of $90,800 a year, or about $43.65 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $135K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $80,668 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 51% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $91K get you in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
New York-Newark-Jersey City sits well above the national pay line for construction and building inspectors, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $75K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,910/month, which is 51.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for construction and building inspectors in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Rochester | $77K | $80K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $77K | $80K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $69K | $70K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $73K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level construction and building inspectors (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $91K. Top earners bring in $135K or more, a $83K 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $91K, rent takes 51.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction and building inspectors typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,138/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 93% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $91K here vs. $75K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 13% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for construction and building inspectors?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $91K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do construction and building inspectors make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $90,800 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,300, and experienced construction and building inspectors can clear $135,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $91K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,655/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 51.5% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (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 $80,668 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.