Welding Inspector Duties, Qualifications, Careers, Jobs and Salary

Welding Inspector is a responsible professional in the welding industry thoroughly. Becoming a welding inspector or certified welding inspector is a great job. Applicants after getting certified by a reputed organization like the American Welding Society have multifold career options not only in the United States but also in foreign countries. Getting an AWS certification is a tough job. Applicants need to do hard work during WI exam preparation. The profession requires certain educational levels and work experiences. Welding inspector duties and responsibilities include before, during, and after the job. They are handling oversee non-destructive testing, qualification records, the availability of proper materials, and other managerial tasks.

Post Highlights:

Educational Level
Work Experiences
Duties Before Welding
Duties During Welding
Duties After Welding
Employment Areas
Job Types
Salary Information
How to Act Professionally as a Welding Inspector?

Welding Inspector Educational Qualifications

For becoming a welding inspector, aspiring applicants need certain educational levels completed from a welding school. Normally, those who have less education, require more welding work experience; and vice-versa. The following are the educational levels for the welding inspector.

Sr. No.	Educational Levels
1.	Below 8th Grade
2.	8th Grade
3.	High School Diploma or Equivalent Approved Diploma
4.	Trade and Vocational Courses
5.	Engineering and Technical Courses (Bachelor or Higher degrees in Welding)
6.	Associate/Higher Degrees in Welding or Non-welding related Engineering Technology, Engineering, or Physical Science
7.	Bachelor or Higher Degree in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology

Work Experiences for Welding Inspector

Sr. No.	Work Experiences
1.	12-year work experience for candidates with educational level below 8th Grade
2.	9-year welding work experience for applicants with 8th Grade
3.	5-year work experience for High School Diploma or Equivalent Approved Diploma
4.	4-year welding work experience for Trade and Vocational Courses
5.	3-year work experience in Engineering and Technical Courses i.e. Bachelor’s or Higher degrees in Welding
6.	2-year work experience for an Associate/Higher Degree in Welding or Non-welding related Engineering Technology, Engineering, or Physical Science
7.	1-year welding work experience for candidates with Bachelor’s or Higher Degree in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology

Note: Applicants with less educational levels require more years of welding work experience.

Welding Inspector Duties Before Welding

The welding inspector is a dedicated professional thoroughly. They need to follow various standards, welding codes, and duties for smooth functioning and safety while performing the job. The important duties before the welding are as follows:

Checking the level preparations i.e. Root gap (as per the WPS) (in general root gap is 1.5 to 2.5 mm for pipe die less than 10 inches and the root gap is 2.5 to 4 mm for pipe die above 10 inches) and bevel angle (33 to 35 degree).
Pipe cutting method checking, whether the pipe is to be thermal cut or mechanically cut etc.
To check whether the preheat requirement is there or not.
Checking of root face (in general root face is from 1.6 to 2 mm).
Tack weld checking (note, if there is preheat on a pipe then the tack weld should be made after the preheat is done. And the tack weld should be done by a qualified welder. Even if a welder must do a tack weld on a pipe, he must qualify to perform full welding on the diameter, thickness, and material type of the pipe that he is going to do a tack weld.
To check welding procedure specifications and welder approvals
Checking if the electrodes are stored and handled according to the specification.
Verifying calibration certificate of holding oven, welding machine, mother oven, and quiver including inspection instruments like welding and temperature gauges that are used to measure the preheat temperature and interposes.

Welding Inspector Duties During Welding

The following are the welding inspector’s duties during the welding.

Checking the purging requirement for SS and Alloy steel pipe. Also, to check the purging gas type (mostly argon gas is used for purging), and purging gas pressure/flow rate.
To check the root faces for visual defects and verify that inter-run cleaning is done for the removal of slag.
Checking of size and type of electrodes used, if they are according to the WPS or not.
Make sure the weld area should be properly covered by using a fire blanket or other means.
Verifying inter-pass temperatures, that do not exceed the level as mentioned in the WPS. (Infrared thermal gun is used to measure the Inter-pass temperature).
Checking weather conditions, if there is heavy wind or rain welding should not be carried out.
Observing welding conditions for root run/hot pass and all subsequent runs, and inter-run cleaning.
Checking welding processes and all related variable parameters. (voltage, amperage, travel speed, etc.)

Welding Inspector Duties after Welding

The welding inspector has some crucial responsibilities after performing welding. The duties are as follows:

Carrying out visual inspection of the welded joint including dimensional aspects
Monitoring and checking NDT requirements (that is the method, qualification of operator, and execution)
Checking post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) and Hardness test requirements.
Identify repairs from an assessment of visual or NDT reports.
Visual inspection of the weld joint after PWHT to make sure there is no distortion and no crack.

Employment Areas

After getting the required education and work experience, a welding inspector can get a job in various positions in the welding industry. Normally, more work experience leads to a better job position. The following are some of the best employment areas.

Aerospace Industry
Automotive Industry
Construction Industry
Manufacturing Industry
Shipbuilding Industry
Steel Industry

Welding Inspector Job Types

After completing certain welding qualifications and experiences, applicants can apply for jobs in various positions. The following are the best options for them.

Certified Welding Inspector
Fabrication Welding Inspector
NDT Technician
Quality Assurance Inspector
Quality Inspector
Structural Welder
Welding Inspector

Welding Inspector Salary Information

Employers in the welding industry provide salaries based on applicants’ education levels and work experience. Generally, salary trends differentiate from place to place. Normally, they are given $26.74 per hour. According to an anonymous source, the certified welding inspector in the United States gets $25.87 per hour on an average basis. The salary figure may change with the passage of time.

WI’s Professional Activities

The following are some of the professional acts to be followed by a welding inspector.

Always be prepared to learn and listen to the things happening around you.
To ensure that the welding is being carried out within the limits of the approved procedure.
Always seek to obtain respect and cooperation.
Maintain cooperation while working with people and not against them.
Welding inspectors should be in the good physical condition and be able to go where the welder has been.
They should have inspection experience and knowledge.
Never approve anything that does not meet the requirements unless it has been accepted by the client.
Welding inspectors should never approve the start of welding until the welding procedure has been approved.
They should use engineering judgment and common sense while being at work.
Welding inspectors should use the correct terminology when reporting unacceptable conditions.

Thus, there are so many duties and responsibilities of a Welding Inspector while being on duty before, during, and after performing welding. Besides this, some of the duties are from the manufacturer regarding the products, and others are related to the project under work.

Related: Other Welding Professions