How To Become A Welding Tester: What It Is and Career Path

What is a welding tester and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average welding tester salary is $48,670. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an precision metal working major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a welding tester. Welding testers with a Certified Welding Engineer certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 6,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreWelding TesterUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,670

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.64%

Asian 2.75%

Black or African American 9.44%

Hispanic or Latino 18.36%

Unknown 4.01%

White 63.80%

Gender

female 8.51%

male 91.49%

Age - 40

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 - 40

Stress level

5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a welding tester

Explore welding tester education requirements

Most common welding tester degrees

High School Diploma

55.6 %

Associate

20.4 %

Certificate

7.4 %

Start to develop specific welding tester skills

Skills	Percentages
MIG	23.45%
SMAW	11.82%
TIG	10.94%
Stainless Steel	8.15%
GMAW	8.04%

Complete relevant welding tester training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New welding testers 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 welding tester based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real welding tester resumes.

Research welding tester duties and responsibilities

Manage weld process controls of GMAW-P, CV both robotic and semi-automatic; to include GTAW both robotic and semi-automatic.
Operate a CNC burn table.
Operate MIG and TIG welder to produce parts/products.
Submit estimate to customers and respond to any questions / issues with repair order.

Prepare your welding tester resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your welding tester resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a welding tester resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable welding tester resume templates

Build a professional welding tester resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your welding tester resume.