Materials inspector vs certified welding inspector

The differences between materials inspectors and certified welding inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a certified welding inspector has an average salary of $47,494, which is higher than the $38,864 average annual salary of a materials inspector.

The top three skills for a materials inspector include asphalt, ACI and test results. The most important skills for a certified welding inspector are CWI, PT, and structural steel.

Materials inspector vs certified welding inspector overview

	Materials Inspector	Certified Welding Inspector
Yearly salary	$38,864	$47,494
Hourly rate	$18.68	$22.83
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	20,168	50,814
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Associate Degree, 31%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Materials inspector vs certified welding inspector salary

Materials inspectors and certified welding inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Materials Inspector	Certified Welding Inspector
Average salary	$38,864	$47,494
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $55,000	Between $31,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between materials inspector and certified welding inspector education

There are a few differences between a materials inspector and a certified welding inspector in terms of educational background:

	Materials Inspector	Certified Welding Inspector
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Associate Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Materials inspector vs certified welding inspector demographics

Here are the differences between materials inspectors' and certified welding inspectors' demographics:

	Materials Inspector	Certified Welding Inspector
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6%	Male, 89.0% Female, 11.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 9.5% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.1% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between materials inspector and certified welding inspector duties and responsibilities

Materials inspector example responsibilities.

Utilize micrometers and other precision measuring devices to assure appropriate quality and size of finish products per customer specifications.
Perform AQL inspection for the returned batches for their specify quality attributes and complete the necessary disposition documentation.

Certified welding inspector example responsibilities.

Verify all welders are within approve WPS parameters using the GTAW, FCAW, SMAW and GMAW welding processes.
Inspect construction projects to ensure adherence to AISC requirements for clients of 3rd party NDT visual and ultrasonic testing company.
Experience welder in FCAW, TIG, SMAW with AWS D1.1 Certification.
Log all welds, schedule all NDE, develop weld procedures, test welders, perform all visual inspections on welds.
Qualify PQR's to the applicable codes.
Weld various types of metals using MIG and TIG.

Materials inspector vs certified welding inspector skills

Common materials inspector skills

Asphalt, 23%
ACI, 12%
Test Results, 11%
Construction Materials, 10%
Field Testing, 8%
Construction Sites, 6%

Common certified welding inspector skills

CWI, 10%
PT, 10%
Structural Steel, 9%
NDT, 8%
Inspection Reports, 6%
Level II, 5%

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Materials Inspector
Materials Inspector vs Certified Welding Inspector

Updated January 8, 2025

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