Salary guide, May 2025
Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440.
Also searched as: Weld Inspector, Welding QC Inspector. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
The Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,510 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 | $77,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.07 | $19.18 | $23.35 | $29.54 | $37.44 |
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $46,820 | $36,760 to $59,760 | 6,830 | 0.63 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $47,180 | $38,420 to $57,620 | 3,760 | 0.68 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $45,630 | $37,230 to $59,060 | 2,790 | 0.51 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $49,460 | $44,150 to $59,610 | 1,420 | 0.5 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $46,210 | $38,390 to $59,280 | 16,440 | 1.06 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $48,230 | $41,620 to $60,340 | 23,080 | 1.33 |
Rank every metro for Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$64,420
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$60,620
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$55,250
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$54,760
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$54,510
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$53,620
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$51,620
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$50,120
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$49,940
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$49,410
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$48,480
- Wood Product Manufacturing (NAICS 321000)$47,830
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$47,420
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$46,100
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$45,820
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 382,920 | $43,050 | $49,270 | $61,460 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 63,910 | $47,390 | $60,620 | $77,420 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 47,990 | $44,350 | $49,410 | $60,470 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 46,600 | $38,690 | $46,100 | $51,520 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 35,730 | $38,770 | $45,820 | $50,530 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 32,800 | $44,970 | $50,120 | $61,740 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 32,480 | $45,540 | $55,250 | $65,450 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 29,910 | $38,680 | $45,630 | $49,600 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 28,190 | $46,460 | $54,760 | $62,540 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 26,120 | $60,260 | $74,450 | $93,290 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 21,920 | $40,470 | $47,070 | $55,850 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 19,460 | $40,490 | $48,480 | $60,400 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,660 | $46,570 | $53,970 | $62,430 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 17,830 | $43,660 | $48,640 | $59,190 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 17,440 | $46,950 | $59,260 | $72,860 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 17,210 | $37,210 | $41,070 | $47,570 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 17,190 | $42,910 | $48,570 | $59,840 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 14,050 | $45,350 | $49,940 | $60,720 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 13,840 | $44,600 | $49,520 | $61,220 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 13,800 | $45,100 | $50,680 | $61,110 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 13,430 | $46,550 | $54,510 | $62,530 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 10,570 | $48,480 | $58,360 | $66,930 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 10,330 | $46,260 | $51,620 | $60,320 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 10,030 | $47,390 | $57,110 | $66,250 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,420 | $41,910 | $51,060 | $63,770 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 9,230 | $46,800 | $54,690 | $62,500 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 9,100 | $40,640 | $47,770 | $56,580 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 7,030 | $63,060 | $73,310 | $78,410 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 6,680 | $40,340 | $47,420 | $59,740 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 6,330 | $38,690 | $45,960 | $50,760 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 6,240 | $45,110 | $49,640 | $60,390 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 6,120 | $39,420 | $47,830 | $55,730 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 6,050 | $38,590 | $44,870 | $49,030 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 5,830 | $39,070 | $47,600 | $59,530 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 5,710 | $46,700 | $52,060 | $61,370 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 5,620 | $43,680 | $49,100 | $61,330 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5,620 | $37,110 | $44,670 | $52,200 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 5,560 | $46,450 | $50,350 | $60,320 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 5,520 | $39,140 | $45,750 | $55,830 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 4,940 | $36,950 | $41,160 | $47,650 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 4,590 | $47,310 | $52,070 | $58,980 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 4,570 | $38,790 | $46,970 | $58,040 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 4,440 | $37,100 | $41,850 | $47,960 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 4,190 | $39,580 | $46,260 | $50,560 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 4,100 | $47,500 | $53,620 | $61,460 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 4,060 | $43,070 | $49,330 | $60,400 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 4,020 | $35,630 | $38,610 | $45,130 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 4,020 | $42,850 | $47,900 | $58,330 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 3,690 | $47,540 | $53,390 | $61,090 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 3,580 | $40,540 | $47,550 | $53,490 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 3,330 | $49,230 | $61,140 | $75,860 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 2,980 | $55,840 | $64,560 | $82,130 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,390 | $29,520 | $45,200 | $55,760 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 2,290 | $47,040 | $56,280 | $64,870 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 2,280 | $36,220 | $39,000 | $46,360 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 2,240 | $43,670 | $48,100 | $60,070 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,140 | $46,890 | $53,440 | $62,140 |
| 315000 · 3-digit | Apparel Manufacturing | 2,130 | $30,310 | $36,080 | $39,180 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 2,110 | $35,350 | $41,500 | $46,520 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 2,070 | $46,690 | $57,780 | $72,540 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 2,020 | $46,910 | $54,140 | $60,450 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 2,010 | $48,830 | $59,190 | $66,890 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,640 | $44,310 | $47,980 | $56,980 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 1,600 | $37,110 | $37,110 | $40,350 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 1,550 | $46,170 | $55,320 | $62,270 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 1,530 | $46,910 | $51,860 | $61,310 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 1,340 | $30,960 | $36,390 | $43,690 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,300 | $39,010 | $47,270 | $55,900 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 1,240 | $39,200 | $49,840 | $59,130 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 1,160 | $41,660 | $50,000 | $61,700 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,160 | $54,900 | $61,330 | $69,540 |
| 314100 · 4-digit | Textile Furnishings Mills | 1,070 | $38,210 | $43,240 | $46,230 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 1,040 | $31,200 | $37,560 | $47,060 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 940 | $46,140 | $51,740 | $64,420 |
| 313300 · 4-digit | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 920 | $35,470 | $38,710 | $46,030 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 880 | $48,170 | $60,820 | $70,560 |
| 313100 · 4-digit | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 830 | $34,640 | $37,420 | $40,560 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 540 | $34,430 | $44,840 | $48,760 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 510 | $32,210 | $37,860 | $46,060 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 450 | $39,730 | $48,770 | $59,700 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 430 | $28,710 | $36,580 | $44,810 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 410 | $43,410 | $55,770 | $76,160 |
| 315100 · 4-digit | Apparel Knitting Mills | 410 | $28,140 | $35,500 | $36,830 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 400 | $43,660 | $47,170 | $59,730 |
| 315900 · 4-digit | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 380 | $33,400 | $36,280 | $36,820 |
| 316200 · 4-digit | Footwear Manufacturing | 210 | $28,370 | $30,870 | $42,360 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 180 | $40,230 | $47,790 | $47,930 |
| 316100 · 4-digit | Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing | 120 | $39,160 | $45,450 | $54,850 |
| 316900 · 4-digit | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 100 | $29,040 | $34,550 | $40,460 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $38,740 | $47,460 | $59,970 |
| May 2025 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What a CWI does in a shop?
A Certified Welding Inspector checks that welds meet the governing code. The person reviews welding procedure specifications and procedure qualification records, watches fit-up, verifies welder qualifications, performs visual inspection and signs off reports. In some shops the title is Welding QC Inspector. In others, a Weld Inspector may only do final visual checks.
We define whether you need procedure review as well.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)?
The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $35,510. 90% earned less than $77,860.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) at a plant?
The Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) role is captured under the broad SOC 51-9061 occupation. As of May 2025, the national median for this occupation is $48,570, up $1,110 from the $47,460 recorded in May 2024. The middle-band width is $21,550. For Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation.
The published middle interval is $39,890 to $61,440 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them. Because BLS does not isolate certified welding experts, the median is likely conservative for actual CWI roles, which require higher levels of code knowledge and professional experience.
For Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $39,890 to $61,440 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing reflects a median of $74,450, while Motor Vehicle Manufacturing is $73,310. Ship and Boat Building sits at $64,560. These roles prioritize specialized inspection, which is more aligned with CWI responsibilities than the general occupation average. For Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
The two metros with highest employment concentration illustrate regional market conditions. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA reflects a median of $51,560 with a location quotient of 0.94. Manufacturing Headhunters observes that while these metros show high demand for inspectors generally, the specific value of a CWI is dictated by the specific welding codes required by the employer, such as AWS D1.1 or ASME. For Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why does the CWI median appear lower than industry averages?
The CWI occupation is grouped with all types of testers and samplers. The higher industry averages reflect the specialized nature of technical manufacturing which CWI roles typically perform.
Does the BLS data account for the AWS CWI certification?
No, the BLS system does not distinguish between certified and non-certified inspectors. A CWI will typically earn compensation at the top end of the middle-band or higher.
Is the regional location quotient a useful metric for CWI availability?
It indicates a high concentration of inspection roles in the region, which is helpful for understanding job market density. It does not specifically track the supply of CWI-certified personnel.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4