Compare A Environmental Scientist ↔ B Combination Building Inspector

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Your route

3 moves

No pay difference shown for this route: no single published pay schedule names every stop, and the occupation medians are not like for like on every move.

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Safety Engineer: license depends on the work (Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work).
Move 2, to Electrical Inspector: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 3, to Combination Building Inspector: license depends on the work (Texas: inspecting plumbing needs a TSBPE Plumbing Inspector license (500 hours, exam). No state license found for building or electrical inspection at TDLR).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Environmental Scientist to Safety Engineer
- O*NET lists Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.78 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: license depends on the work (Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work).
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Safety Engineer to Electrical Inspector
- O*NET lists Construction and Building Inspectors as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.87 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 3 M1 step up on Code inspection
Electrical Inspector to Combination Building Inspector
- Next rung on 'Code inspection' (Skilled to Skilled).
- Gates: license depends on the work (Texas: inspecting plumbing needs a TSBPE Plumbing Inspector license (500 hours, exam). No state license found for building or electrical inspection at TDLR).

Side by side

All Construction and Building Inspectors: Texas median $64,810, $27,190 less a year than all Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health ($92,000), every experience level.

Combination Building Inspector: 20% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.9 times the share for Environmental Scientist (11%).

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$92,000-$27,190$64,810

Gates on the route: Safety Engineer: license depends on the work (Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work); Combination Building Inspector: license depends on the work (Texas: inspecting plumbing needs a TSBPE Plumbing Inspector license (500 hours, exam). No state license found for building or electrical inspection at TDLR).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +15.4% Texas, 440 openings a year

B +8.2% Texas, 1,860 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

11%+9 pts20%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

1.6 / 5+1.12.7 / 5

High places+2.00High places: A 1.16, B 3.16
Outdoors, all weather+1.96Outdoors, all weather: A 2.52, B 4.48
Very hot or cold+1.68Very hot or cold: A 1.72, B 3.4
Cramped space+1.41Cramped space: A 1.27, B 2.68
Standing+1.41Standing: A 1.95, B 3.36

Degree

A Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 78%).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 20% do).

License

A No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).

B Texas: inspecting plumbing needs a TSBPE Plumbing Inspector license (500 hours, exam). No state license found for building or electrical inspection at TDLR.

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 29%).

B Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 32%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Reading Comprehension
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Speaking
Complex Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making

To build: 0

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Save Environmental Scientist to Combination Building Inspector as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next. Free with an account.