Climbs, rappels and boats under highway bridges to inspect their condition and flag deterioration before it becomes a safety problem. BLS does not publish separate figures for construction and building inspectors; it counts them within construction and building inspector (SOC 47-4011), whose median pay is $74,690 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 47-4011
- Construction and Extraction
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Bridge Inspector in four numbers
- Median pay
- $74,690a year, or $35.91/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $47KTop 10% $114K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- 0.0%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career0%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career 0% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 14,800153,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025153.9K
- Projected 2035153.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 153.9K Projected 2035 153.9K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school36%
- Certificate36%
- Some college4%
- Associate's4%
- Bachelor's16%
- Master's4%
Highest education held by construction and building inspectors Segment Value High school 36% Certificate 36% Some college 4% Associate's 4% Bachelor's 16% Master's 4%
Also advertised as: Bridge Safety Inspector, Bridge Inspection Team Leader, Structural Inspector, Bridge Inspection Technician.
Pay
How much do Construction and Building Inspectors make?
Every bridge inspector in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$74,690
Middle half earn $58,860 to $94,710
- 10th
- $47,140
- 25th
- $58,860
- 75th
- $94,710
- 90th
- $114,200
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,140 |
| 25th | $58,860 |
| Median | $74,690 |
| 75th | $94,710 |
| 90th | $114,200 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $74,690
- Median hourly wage
- $35.91/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $77,730
- People employed
- 146,720
Versus all US occupations
At $74,690, Construction and Building Inspectors earn 47% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $23,710 a year.
Versus construction and extraction occupations
Inside the Construction and Extraction group, where the middle occupation pays $60,020, this is 24% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $114,200 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,140, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 49% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Alaska pays the most at $102,410, and still leads at $100,050 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Construction and Building Inspectors the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Alaska | $102,410 | $100,050 | 270 |
| 2California | $101,290 | $91,483 | 13,420 |
| 3Connecticut | $98,670 | $95,232 | 1,430 |
| 4Washington | $96,140 | $89,840 | 3,090 |
| 5Minnesota | $88,670 | $89,910 | 1,390 |
| 6District of Columbia | $86,200 | $78,434 | 370 |
| 7Oregon | $84,510 | $81,762 | 1,780 |
| 8Massachusetts | $83,200 | $78,671 | 4,290 |
| 9New Jersey | $81,760 | $75,144 | 5,950 |
| 10Colorado | $79,950 | $77,582 | 3,700 |
Job outlook
Is Bridge Inspector a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. 0.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Construction and Building Inspectors | 0% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Construction and Building Inspectors to change 0.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 0 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,800 openings are projected each year, 9.6% of the 153,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Bridge Inspector
Bridge inspection in the US is governed by the Federal Highway Administration's National Bridge Inspection Standards. Inspection team leaders must complete FHWA-approved comprehensive training, usually the National Highway Institute course Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges, and meet experience requirements, with periodic refresher training.
Many inspectors start as engineering technicians or civil engineering graduates working for a state DOT or a consulting engineering firm, assisting a team leader before leading their own inspections. A professional engineer license is not always required for team leaders but is common for those who sign off on reports. Some states add their own certification on top of the federal requirements.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as construction and building inspectors.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)36%
- Post-Secondary Certificate36%
- Bachelor's Degree16%
- Some College Courses4%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 36% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 36% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 16% |
| Some College Courses | 4% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Bridge Inspector do?
Bridge inspectors examine highway and rail bridges at regular intervals to rate their condition and catch problems early. They look for cracked steel, corroded bearings, spalled concrete, scour around piers, and fatigue in critical members, using hammers, gauges, cameras and sometimes ultrasonic testing.
Reaching every part of a bridge takes creativity: inspectors use snooper trucks that reach under the deck, bucket trucks, ladders, rope access, boats and occasionally underwater divers. They record ratings in the format required by federal standards, write reports with photos and sketches, and recommend repairs or load restrictions to the engineers who manage the bridge inventory.
Day-to-day tasks
- Inspect bridge decks, superstructures, bearings and substructures
- Rate the condition of bridge elements to federal inspection standards
- Operate or work from snooper trucks, lifts and rope access systems
- Check for scour, section loss and fatigue cracks in critical members
- Photograph and sketch defects for inspection reports
- Recommend repairs, load postings or emergency closures
- Enter inspection data into the state bridge inventory
- Set up traffic control for inspections on active roads
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Bridge inspectors work outdoors in all seasons, beside live traffic, over water and at height. Inspections involve climbing, crawling inside steel box girders and wearing fall protection. Travel within a state or region is routine, and the rest of the time is spent writing reports and entering ratings in the office.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Writing3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Mathematics3.0
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Systems Evaluation3.3
- Time Management3.3
- Persuasion3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Negotiation3.0
- Instructing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Compliance software
- Data base reporting software
- Data base user interface and query software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Bridge Inspector?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RIC) built on O*NET's Construction and Building Inspector profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Bridge Inspector |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.2
- Conventional5.4
- Investigative4.5
- Enterprising2.1
- Social1.5
- Artistic1.2
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
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More construction and extraction careers
Median annual pay, with construction and building inspectors highlighted
- Bridge Inspector$74,690
- Plumber$63,800
- Electrician$63,190
- Structural Iron and Steel Worker$62,780
- Sheet Metal Worker$61,800
- Carpenter$60,580
- Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator$59,850
- Roofer$55,440
- Oil and Gas Roustabout$46,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bridge Inspector | $74,690 |
| Plumber | $63,800 |
| Electrician | $63,190 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Worker | $62,780 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $61,800 |
| Carpenter | $60,580 |
| Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator | $59,850 |
| Roofer | $55,440 |
| Oil and Gas Roustabout | $46,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Bridge Inspector appears on
Questions
Bridge Inspector: frequently asked questions
How much do Construction and Building Inspectors make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for construction and building inspectors. It counts them within construction and building inspector, whose median pay is $74,690 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $58,860 and $94,710, and the top 10% earn $114,200 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Bridge Inspector?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Construction and Building Inspectors. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 36.0% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Bridge Inspector a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.0% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 14,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Bridge Inspector do?
Bridge inspectors examine highway and rail bridges at regular intervals to rate their condition and catch problems early. A typical task: inspect bridge decks, superstructures, bearings and substructures. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Construction and Building Inspectors the most?
The highest state medians for Construction and Building Inspectors are Alaska ($102,410), California ($101,290), Connecticut ($98,670) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Bridge Inspector?
O*NET scores Construction and Building Inspectors highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.