Home Inspector Earnings
A home inspector earnings can depend on a few different factors, such as education, experience, location, employment status, and clientele. However, a modest estimate of how much a home inspector can earn is anywhere from $55,000 – $64,000 annually. On the upper end of that scale, some home inspectors can expect to earn between $70,000 to $150,000 per year. Depending on where you’re located, this can be a very comfortable income.
Education
Education is important in any industry, but it will be more important if you plan to become employed at someone else’s business. As your educational background increases, you can expect your salary to increase, too. Some employers will require a home inspector to have an associate’s degree to even be considered for a position. If a home inspector has a bachelor’s degree in a related field, then this could mean a pay increase. However you do not need a college degree to be a home inspector.
Experience
Just as with any other industry, experience is another factor in how much a home inspector is paid. This is true for both traditionally employed and self-employed home inspectors. Having experience means having a reputation for self-employed home inspectors, and experience demonstrates you’re able to complete the job to a potential employer.
Location
Geographical location is very important in determining potential salary for a home inspection career. Inspectors who work in the District of Columbia earn the highest annual income in the United States, with an average reported salary of $81,930. For individuals working in California, they can also expect a high income average at $71,300. However, home inspectors working in Florida and Pennsylvania can expect earnings of $53,410 and $48,100 annually. Location is very important as to how much a home inspector will make.
Employment Status
A home inspector working for a company can expect to earn paid vacations, insurance, and retirement savings plans. This means their pay may be a little less than that of a self-employed home inspector; however, a self-employed home inspector has to pay for all of these benefits on their own. Sometimes, it may be better to start out with a company to obtain experience, and then transition to owning a business later on. Typically an employer will pay between 35% to 45% of the inspection price.
Clientele
Of course, a home inspector working in a neighborhood with larger homes can charge more. Most inspectors base their rates on the square footage of a home, some also charge more depending on the age of the house. Inspectors who choose to branch out into commercial inspection can charge their commercial clients a lot more than they would a residential client. How much a self-employed home inspector earns will depend on the type of clientele they’re working for (residential versus commercial) and where their clientele are located (wealthy versus non-wealthy neighborhoods).
Strong Effort Equals Big Earnings
The final, and most important factor that determines a home inspectors earnings every year is effort. The amount of effort you put into advertising, marketing yourself to clients, and the quality of the home inspections you conduct. Home inspectors who are able to obtain enough customers, organize well, and conduct high-quality home inspections can expect to make upwards of $150,000 or more per year.
