How To Become A Chief Inspector: What It Is and Career Path

What is a chief inspector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average chief inspector salary is $59,832. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an business major. It usually takes 4-6 years of experience to become a chief inspector. Chief inspectors with a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -4% and produce -5,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreChief InspectorUS Average

Salary

4.7

Avg. Salary $59,832

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%

Asian 3.36%

Black or African American 8.07%

Hispanic or Latino 12.78%

Unknown 5.74%

White 69.17%

Gender

female 7.33%

male 92.67%

Age - 52

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a chief inspector

Explore chief inspector education requirements

Most common chief inspector degrees

Bachelor's

38.7 %

Associate

29.4 %

High School Diploma

12.6 %

Start to develop specific chief inspector skills

Skills	Percentages
Repair Station	10.22%
Pipeline Construction	9.62%
API	5.33%
Inspection Procedures	5.21%
Test Equipment	4.78%

Complete relevant chief inspector training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chief inspectors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chief inspector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chief inspector resumes.

Gain additional chief inspector certifications

Chief inspector certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific chief inspector certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for chief inspectors include Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

More About Certifications

Research chief inspector duties and responsibilities

Manage NDT crew and survey crew.
Perform oversight of customer aircraft to ensure work is accomplished in accordance with company and customer procedures.
Inspect plumbing and gas work install in town
Develop CMM programs to validate parts that cannot be measure using standard layout inspection techniques.

Get chief inspector experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a chief inspector. The most common roles before becoming a chief inspector include weld inspector, utility inspector team lead and inspector.

Apply for chief inspector jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a chief inspector job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do chief inspectors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Chief inspector reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022

Cons

People who object to getting things right the first time and try to slip slop past me.

Pros

Making sure that what goes out reflects my commitment to top quality.

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022