SOC 3581 Business and public service associate professionals

Inspectors of standards and regulations Salary

Median salary £37,236 per year (2025). Based on ONS ASHE data.

Gross pay, before deductions. See take-home pay on £37,000 after tax and National Insurance →

For inspectors of standards and regulations, £38,963 is the typical (median) pay. That is around the UK full-time median of £39,039 — about the same as the national average. Experienced inspectors of standards and regulations (top 25%) earn over £43,931.

About this role

Inspectors of standards and regulations (2020 SOC) enforce compliance with legal standards across building control, food safety, environmental protection, product safety and other regulatory areas. They conduct inspections, investigate breaches and take enforcement action.

Key responsibilities

Inspecting premises and operations for regulatory compliance
Investigating potential breaches and gathering evidence
Issuing improvement and enforcement notices
Providing compliance advice to businesses
Preparing prosecution files and attending court

Qualifications and entry routes

Role-specific professional qualifications. Building inspectors require accreditation under the Building Safety Act. Trading standards officers need CTSI qualifications. Environmental health officers need CIEH qualifications.

Career outlook

Building Safety Act reforms are creating significant demand for competent building inspectors. Regulatory inspection roles face recruitment challenges across local government.

Key skills

Regulatory enforcement Investigation techniques Evidence gathering Legal procedures Communication

Common industries

Building control
Trading standards
Environmental health
Fire safety
Immigration enforcement

Data coverage

SOC code 3581

Data source ONS ASHE

Years available 2015–2025

Estimated jobs 20,000

Median Salary

£37,236

Mean Salary

£37,151

Jobs (000s)

20k

Data Years

11 years

Salary Range (2025)

P25: £29,737Median: £37,236P75: £43,931

P10: £20kP25: £30kMedian: £37kP75: £44kP90: --

Estimated Career Progression

Based on salary percentile distribution for this occupation

Entry Level

£20,363

0-2 years

Mid Level

£29,737

3-7 years

Senior

£43,931

8-15 years

Potential career growth: +116% from entry to leadership

Salary Trend (2015-2025)

Adjust for inflation

Nominal growth: +30.3%Real growth: -5.6%

Gender Pay Comparison (2025)

Gender pay gap: 12.5%

Full-time vs All Employees (2025)

All Employees

£37,236

Full-time Only

£38,963

Full-time premium: +£1,727

Inspectors of standards and regulations salary: common questions

How much do inspectors of standards and regulations earn in the UK?

Inspectors of standards and regulations earn a median of £38,963 a year (ONS ASHE 2025). The middle half earn between £29,737 and £43,931.

Is £38,963 a good salary in the UK?

What is the starting salary for inspectors of standards and regulations?

Entry-level inspectors of standards and regulations typically start near the lower end of the range. The bottom 25% earn up to £29,737, and the lowest-paid 10% earn under £20,363.

Have inspectors of standards and regulations salaries kept up with inflation?

Since 2015, median inspectors of standards and regulations pay has risen from £29,576 to £38,963 — +32% in cash terms, or -5.0% after CPIH inflation. That is behind inflation over the period.

Is there a gender pay gap for inspectors of standards and regulations?

Male inspectors of standards and regulations earn a median £38,703 and female inspectors of standards and regulations £33,852 — a gap of +13% in 2025.

Figures: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, gross annual pay. UK full-time median £39,039 (2025).