Entry-level welding inspector jobs are in fabrication shops, inspection and testing companies, and the construction, pipeline, power and manufacturing work that is built to a welding code. Postings use titles such as QC inspector, welding inspector trainee and associate welding inspector. If you don't yet have the five years of experience a CWI needs with a high school diploma, the AWS credential within reach is the Certified Associate Welding Inspector (CAWI): two years of work experience, a vision test and the same three exams as the CWI, after which you inspect under a CWI's supervision (AWS CAWI page).
Who hires entry-level inspectors
- Fabrication shops and manufacturers. Shops that build to a code often have their own quality control staff who check fit-up, welds and paperwork before parts ship. A QC job in your own shop is a common first step, because the people hiring already know your welding.
- Inspection and testing companies. These firms send inspectors to clients' shops and job sites, often alongside NDT technicians. They hire trainees and pair them with certified inspectors.
- Contractors and project owners. Construction, pipeline and plant projects need inspection during fabrication and erection, either from their own staff or from an inspection company they hire.
- Engineering firms. Some act as the owner's representative on a project and employ inspectors to check the contractor's work.
Industries, by the code they use
The code named in a posting tells you the industry, and it is the code you would choose for CWI Part C. AWS's CWI page lists these Part C code choices:
| Code | Work it covers |
|---|---|
| AWS D1.1 | Structural steel: buildings and other steel structures |
| AWS D1.2 | Structural aluminum |
| AWS D1.5 | Steel highway bridges |
| API 1104 | Pipelines |
| ASME Section IX with B31.1 or B31.3 | Power piping (B31.1) and process piping (B31.3) |
| AWS D15.1 | Railcars and locomotives |
| AWS D17.1 | Aerospace |
AWS also offers an ISO option. Our Part C practice questions use D1.1. For what "D1.1 certified" means on a job post, see AWS D1.1 certification.
Job titles to search
Titles vary by employer, so search several:
- welding inspector trainee
- associate welding inspector, or CAWI
- QC inspector or QA/QC inspector (with "welding")
- quality control technician in a fabrication shop
- NDT trainee or NDT assistant
Add the code and your city to the search, for example "QC inspector D1.1" or "welding inspector API 1104."
What the postings ask for
Requirements differ, but most entry-level posts ask for some mix of these:
- A credential, or a path to one. CAWI or CWI, or a plan to earn one. Some posts also ask for NDT certification in a method such as visual, magnetic particle, penetrant or ultrasonic testing.
- Welding experience. Years as a welder or fitter count, and they also count toward AWS's experience requirement.
- Knowledge of the code named in the post, such as D1.1, API 1104 or an ASME code.
- Reading drawings and welding symbols. Our welding symbols chart and how to read welding symbols cover the AWS rules.
- Using inspection gauges and writing clear inspection reports.
- Travel or site work, especially with inspection companies and pipeline or plant projects.
Read each post closely. The credential and code it names tell you what to study and which Part C code to pick.
How the CAWI and CWI fit
| CAWI | CWI | |
|---|---|---|
| Experience with a high school diploma | 2 years | 5 years |
| Exams | Parts A, B and C | The same Parts A, B and C |
| Passing standard | 72% on each part and overall | 72% on each part and overall |
| Vision test | Yes | Yes |
| Works on own authority | No; a CWI or SCWI decides final acceptance | Yes |
| Valid for | 3 years, cannot be renewed | 9 years, with renewals at years 3 and 6 |
| 2026 exam fee | $1,255 members, $1,520 non-members | Same |
Sources: AWS's CAWI page, CWI page, Examination User Guide (dated 09.04.2026) and 2026 price list. AWS's user guide says the exam structure and content are the same for the CAWI and CWI. Checked November 2026.
AWS says a CAWI performs inspections alongside a CWI or SCWI, who determines final acceptance. You do inspection work while a CWI signs off, and you build experience toward the CWI at the same time. The CAWI lasts three years and can't be renewed or recertified, so plan to upgrade before it runs out.
To get a CAWI:
- Check your experience. AWS's minimums for the CAWI range from 6 months, with two years of post-high school education in welding, engineering technology or physical sciences, to 6 years with less than 8th-grade schooling. With a high school diploma, it is 2 years.
- Gather proof. AWS asks for documented education and an employment verification form for your work experience.
- Pass a vision test and submit AWS's Visual Acuity Exam Form.
- Apply and take the exams. Part B, the practical, is given at locations AWS sets in the US and abroad, and you take it first. Parts A and C are computer-based at Prometric centers.
- Wait for results. AWS's user guide says the official score letter arrives about 2 to 4 weeks after your final exam part. AWS's CWI page says about two weeks.
The CWI vs CAWI page has AWS's full experience table, and CWI exam cost covers fees and seminars.
How to find openings
- Search job boards with the titles above plus a code and your city.
- Go straight to employers. List the inspection and testing companies and the code-built fabrication shops near you, and check their careers pages.
- Start inside your own shop. If you weld for a company that builds to a code, ask about moving into its QC team.
- Meet inspectors. AWS has local sections that hold meetings, and the inspectors there often know who is hiring.
When you apply, put the credential you hold or are working toward, the codes you have welded to, and any gauges or NDT methods you have used near the top of your resume.
Other ways into inspection work
- NDT technician roles. Under ASNT's Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A, the employer qualifies and certifies its own NDT staff to a written practice. ASNT says a training school can't issue that certification on its own (ASNT). It is a separate track from AWS inspection, but it puts you around welds and inspectors.
- Quality control in a fabrication shop. QC roles put you next to inspectors and code requirements. Ask AWS whether the work counts as welding-based experience before you rely on it for the CAWI or CWI.
- Structural special inspection. Some building departments require an ICC special inspector credential for structural welding (S2). ICC has offered a transition route to S2 for current CWI and CAWI holders who pass its S1 exam, on a form last updated in 2019. Check ICC's current rules before relying on it.
Moving up to CWI
Because the CAWI and CWI use the same exams, a CAWI doesn't start over. Once you meet the CWI experience requirement, you apply to upgrade. The 2026 price list shows $325 for members and $590 for non-members.
Start preparing early. Part A is closed book, and Part C is an open-book test on the code you choose. Take the free CWI Part A diagnostic to see where you stand, then read how hard the CWI exam is and how to become a welding inspector.
Frequently asked questions
Who hires entry-level welding inspectors?
Fabrication shops and manufacturers with their own QC staff, inspection and testing companies, contractors and owners on construction, pipeline and plant projects, and engineering firms that act for project owners.
What job titles should I search for?
Try welding inspector trainee, associate welding inspector or CAWI, QC inspector, QA/QC inspector and NDT trainee. Add the code, such as D1.1 or API 1104, and your city.
How do I get an entry-level welding inspector job?
Earn AWS's CAWI if you don't yet have the experience for the CWI. With a high school diploma, the CAWI needs two years of work experience, a vision test and a pass on Parts A, B and C. Then apply to inspection companies and code-built fabrication shops, or move into QC where you already work.
Can I become a welding inspector with no experience?
Not as an AWS-certified inspector. Even the entry-level CAWI needs at least 6 months of work experience, and that minimum applies only with two years of post-high school education in welding, engineering technology or physical sciences. With a high school diploma, it is two years.
Can a CAWI work without a CWI?
No. AWS says a CAWI works under the supervision of a CWI, and a CWI or SCWI determines final acceptance. The CAWI is meant as a step toward the CWI.
How much does the CAWI cost?
The initial CAWI or CWI exams cost $1,255 for AWS members and $1,520 for non-members on AWS's price list effective January 1, 2026. Upgrading from CAWI to CWI later costs $325 for members and $590 for non-members.
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