What Does an Asbestos Inspector Do?
To renovate or tear down an older building, in many cases you will need an asbestos survey to qualify to start work. Asbestos inspectors carry out those surveys, sampling pipe insulation, floor tile, plaster and ceiling materials and sending them to a lab. Schools, universities, hospitals and contractors rely on their reports to keep workers and occupants safe.
Also known as: Asbestos Environmental Safety Specialist
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Chemical Hygiene Officer, EHS Officer (Environmental Health and Safety Officer), Health and Safety Analyst, Industrial Hygiene Consultant, Industrial Hygienist, Industrial Hygienist Consultant, OHS Consultant (Occupational Health and Safety Consultant), Risk Control Consultant.
Asbestos Inspector Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an asbestos inspector include:
- Survey buildings before renovation or demolition, identifying materials that may contain asbestos.
- Collect bulk samples of insulation, tile, plaster and roofing, sealing and labeling each one.
- Send samples to accredited labs and interpret results from polarized light microscopy.
- Assess the condition of asbestos materials and rate the risk of fibers being released.
- Write inspection reports with floor plans, photos and sample locations for owners and contractors.
- Carry out the periodic school inspections that AHERA requires, updating each building's management plan.
- Monitor abatement work, checking containment, air pressure controls and workers' protective gear.
- Run air sampling during and after abatement to confirm areas are safe to reoccupy.
- Keep records of sample results, abatement projects and notifications for regulators.
- Train maintenance staff to recognize suspect materials and avoid disturbing them.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an asbestos inspector, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- AHERA inspector accreditation, with state licensing where required
- Bulk and air sampling methods
- Chain-of-custody record keeping
- Reading building plans and specifications
- Respirator use and fit testing
- Clear reports for owners and regulators
- Careful attention to detail
- Comfort in crawl spaces, attics and mechanical rooms
Education and Training
An accredited asbestos inspector course is the first requirement, and the accreditation has to be renewed with refresher training every year. Some states add a license of their own. New inspectors then work in the field under an experienced one, and some arrive from abatement crews. A bachelor's degree is typical for occupational health and safety specialists as a whole, according to BLS, and many employers prefer one in environmental health or a science.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $69,560 - $111,690 per year, with a median of $90,150.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Occupational Health and Safety Specialists.
BLS projects employment of occupational health and safety specialists, the wider group that includes asbestos inspectors, to grow about 18.5 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 17,100 openings a year. That is strong growth, though it describes safety specialists as a whole. Asbestos work often is tied to the pace of renovation and demolition, but inspectors always will be needed as older buildings are updated and as schools keep up required inspections.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Occupational health and safety specialists.
Asbestos Inspector Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $55,000 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $69,560 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $90,150 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $111,690 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $134,950 |
Highest-Paying States for Asbestos Inspectors
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($111,530), Massachusetts ($103,970), Washington ($102,920), California ($102,840), Rhode Island ($101,740). Pay is lowest in Oklahoma ($79,890), Texas ($79,660), Arkansas ($73,130).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $82,260 |
| Alaska | $99,270 |
| Arizona | $89,480 |
| Arkansas | $73,130 |
| California | $102,840 |
| Colorado | $101,400 |
| Connecticut | $96,110 |
| Delaware | $81,120 |
| District of Columbia | $111,530 |
| Florida | $88,820 |
| Georgia | $85,450 |
| Hawaii | $94,840 |
| Idaho | $86,920 |
| Illinois | $98,270 |
| Indiana | $83,470 |
| Iowa | $87,830 |
| Kansas | $86,300 |
| Kentucky | $83,730 |
| Louisiana | $89,560 |
| Maine | $97,640 |
| Maryland | $91,820 |
| Massachusetts | $103,970 |
| Michigan | $84,080 |
| Minnesota | $96,990 |
| Mississippi | $84,490 |
| Missouri | $83,090 |
| Montana | $81,330 |
| Nebraska | $83,990 |
| Nevada | $94,360 |
| New Hampshire | $101,260 |
| New Jersey | $90,610 |
| New Mexico | $84,510 |
| New York | $95,720 |
| North Carolina | $86,650 |
| North Dakota | $93,250 |
| Ohio | $91,460 |
| Oklahoma | $79,890 |
| Oregon | $95,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,050 |
| Rhode Island | $101,740 |
| South Carolina | $88,080 |
| South Dakota | $88,610 |
| Tennessee | $81,190 |
| Texas | $79,660 |
| Utah | $90,200 |
| Vermont | $87,210 |
| Virginia | $90,800 |
| Washington | $102,920 |
| West Virginia | $86,560 |
| Wisconsin | $84,750 |
| Wyoming | $94,030 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as occupational health and safety specialists about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 96% use email every day
- 83% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 78% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 74% are on the phone every day
- 57% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 48% usually work more than 40 hours a week
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 74% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 9% |
| Master's degree | 9% |
Tools and Software Asbestos Inspectors Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy analyzing problems and working with ideas as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness.
Knowledge areas used most: English Language, Chemistry, Education and Training, Mathematics, Customer and Personal Service.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 19-5011.00 (Occupational Health and Safety Specialists). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.