Most people who are looking for an interesting, profitable career would not think of becoming a home inspector. However, the work of a home inspector can be fulfilling, challenging and more profitable than many people realize. The average home inspector salary depends on where you live, how much experience he or she has and the inspector’s experience level. Following is some more information about what being a home inspector means, what it takes to become one and what the average home inspector salary is.
What Does a Home Inspector Do?
A home inspector checks a house that has just been built, is about to be bought or that is being put up for sale. Those who are buying a new home will naturally want to make sure the home structure is sound and there are no problems. Homeowners putting their house up for sale will often hire an inspector before showing the house to potential buyers.
An inspector will make sure the house has no hidden problems. A home inspector will check to make sure there are no leaks, plumbing or electrical problems, structural damage, fire hazards or other issues that many homeowners or prospective homeowners would not notice. However, a home inspector does not have the authority to make a homeowner or architect comply with local building laws.
Job Prospects
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that the demand for home inspector jobs will increase over the next five years. Those who have furthered their training will be in high demand and will earn a high home inspector salary. At present, the states with the highest number of home inspectors are:
- California
- New York
- Texas
- Florida
- Pennsylvania
Details Regarding Home Inspector Salary
According to the BLS, The median home inspector salary is $50,180 a year. However, some building inspectors earn only $31,270 a year while others command an annual home inspector salary of over $78,000. Following are the five states with the highest building inspector salaries:
- District of Columbia
- California
- Nevada
- Alaska
- Washington
Educational Requirements
Technically, you can become a home inspector with nothing more than a high school diploma. However, individuals who do not further their studies should not expect to earn more than $32,000 a year as a home inspector. In order to become a profitable home inspector, you should take a home inspection training course at a local college. Those who wish to further their education should get a bachelors or even masters degree in engineering, architecture or a related field.
A person could also study any of the above mentioned courses online. An online education is usually much more affordable than studying on campus, and it allows you the freedom to study as he or she has time. Having an online diploma does not impede you from getting a good job. Most employers are quite willing to accept a job candidate with one or more online diplomas, as long as the educational institution that provided these diplomas is accredited on a state or national level.
As was noted above, the educational requirements for obtaining a job as a home inspector are quite low. A person who has a limited budget may want to start by finding work with another home inspector and then learn more as he or she goes along. This enables you to not only get a diploma but also get on-the-job training. The more experience you have, the more opportunities will be open to you. A home inspector salary depends not only on your education but also on your level of experience.
Becoming a Home Inspector
Other Requirements
Some states require that a home inspector obtain certification, while other states have no such requirement. In most instances, a prospective home inspector who wants to obtain certification will need to show evidence that he or she has performed a specified number of home inspections. The states that require you to obtain state level certification are:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- West Virginia
Whether or not a state requires state level certification, a home inspector will want to not only obtain inspector training but also get certification from either NAHI (National Association of Home Inspectors) or ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors). Certification from either of these bodies is not required by law, but it will show that a home inspector is competent and will help you to gain clients. This certification will enable you to earn a high home inspector salary.
A career as a home inspector can be quite interesting, not to mention profitable. Fortunately, you don’t need much education in order to get into this line of work, although a person who has a college or university degree will be more in demand than a person with only a high school diploma. You may also need to obtain state certification, depending on which state he or she intends to work in. The job demand is set to be quite high over the next six years and you can potentially earn a home inspector salary as high as $78,000. All in all, this is a very promising career opportunity for those who are interested in this line of work.