Pressure vessel inspector pay (BLS and posted salaries)

A BLS benchmark

For SOC 47-4011, Construction and Building Inspectors, the May 2025 OEWS estimates, released 15 May 2026, report a national mean wage of $37.37 hourly and $77,730 annually, and a median hourly wage of $35.91. These are the figures in BLS national Table 1.

This is a broad construction-inspection benchmark. BLS's occupational profile describes a wider field of inspection work, and the data do not isolate API 510 holders or refinery inspectors. Keep the occupation name beside any figure you quote. The mean is an average and the median is the midpoint, so compare mean with mean when looking at another area.

Government-posted salaries for related work

These are employer-published ranges for jobs involving boilers and pressure vessels, offered as examples:

• New York City Department of Buildings, Boiler Inspector: $62,244–$71,581 annually. The posting, dated 29 July 2026, describes inspecting steam boilers and other pressure vessels. NYC vacancy, job ID 788429.
• State of Hawaii, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Boiler Inspector, Oahu: $5,338–$6,754 monthly. Recruitment 26-057 opened 5 February 2026, with duties that include boiler and pressure vessel inspection. Hawaii vacancy announcement.

These are public-sector roles with their own qualification requirements, so read the full qualification section of any posting before planning a move.

Compare base pay and total compensation separately

BLS's OEWS definitions exclude overtime pay, on-call pay, shift differentials, and meal and lodging payments. A travel assignment's headline earnings can therefore sit on a different pay basis from the OEWS benchmark.

For each offer, record the base hourly or salary rate, expected paid hours, overtime terms, travel reimbursements and benefits. Keep guaranteed compensation separate from earnings that depend on extra hours. Also record travel frequency, shift pattern, site access, reporting workload and who signs inspection decisions, since a shared inspector title can cover very different jobs.

What would certification change for you?

Check whether your employer requires API 510 at appointment, supports earning it later, or requires a different commission or license. That tells you what the credential is worth in your own pay conversation. To see who hires and what postings ask for, read API 510 jobs: who hires.

Inspecting piping instead of vessels? Read API 570 piping inspector salary and jobs.

Use the schedule and fees guide to plan exam costs and the Body of Knowledge guide to see the preparation scope. Back to the Long Seam overview.

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Sources

Show the list

• Table 1: National Employment and Wage Data, May 2025 OEWS, SOC 47-4011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Construction and Building Inspectors, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• OEWS Frequently Asked Questions, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Boiler Inspector, vacancy 788429, City of New York, Department of Buildings