I agree with Gerald, becoming a CWI is gratifying and enjoyable. AWS publication QC1:96 is the publication you need to see if you have the required experience and/or schooling. As far as salary, my welders make more than I do in a years time, because they get paid for overtime, and they do work alot of overtime. I put in the hours too, but not as many as they do. NDT is another aspect of inspecting that has been very interesting for me. I'll encourage you to pursue welding or inspection if you like to learn, because it is an ever-learning process. The field of welding and inspection is so wide, that you never could learn it all in a life time. The more you learn about it, the more you find there is more to learn. Good luck with further increasing your knowledge in welding or inspection,
John Wright