Rates for a CWI depend on many, many things. A CWI stamp alone tells an employer very little, accept maybe that this person has passed the minimum criteria necessary for a test covering a broad/general range of knowledge. They should certainly know more than some dude that learned to weld in his grandpas garage. The rest of the resume usually also comes into play. What level of knowledge and experience does the job require? This will drive salary. Not all CWI's are created equal, not even close to equal. Some stay stagnent with the minimum knowledge base required to attain the CWI and some excel to the point where they are viewed as SME's in the industries they work. A CWI in the first category I've seen work for $15 to $20 an hour in Michigan and some CWI's in the latter I've seen contracted in for $6K a week (same state). I've worked in Michigan for the last 13 years. Within the auto industry I would expect an "entry level" CWI to earn slightly more than the upper third of the production workforce given the fact they met the minimum experience criteria of QC1 to attain a CWI certificate. For more accurate numbers you could try looking up salaries from agencies that fill these positions within this specific industry such as Aerotek. But don't confuse the salaries they have posted for other industries with those of auto industry employment.

If you are new to the industry, I would not venture out and start qualifying welders until I had a chance to partner with someone that understands all the different codes that come into play.

Setting up a qualification program usually involves much more than simply handing the welder a couple of plates and then collecting at the conclusion of the test.

Every welding standard has their own unique requirements with regards to the thickness range qualified, positions, the need for a WPS, etc. Simply purchasing and reviewing the standards that are applicable represent a major investment in terms of time and money.

Most CWIs are not in a position to develop the WPS needed by their clients. It simply isn't covered in the CWI courses at the level required to develop them without additional resources and experience. Writing WPSs is not part of the job responsibilities listed in AWS B5.1. I am not saying the CWI cannot fill some of the job responsibilities of the SCWI listed in AWS B5.1or even the welding engineer, but the newly minted CWI is usually ill prepared to take on those responsibilities.

The ramifications of doing something improperly can be financially ruinous. You can easily be names as a defendant in a legal proceeding if anyone brings legal action against one of your clients if it can be shown there is discrepancy between the requirements of the welding standard and the documentation you provided.

I am not trying to discourage you from expanding your horizons, I simply want you to understand that the documentation you will be providing and the services you are providing have serious financial consequences should something go wrong down the line. You might consider reading some of the articles available in past issues of Inspection Trends starting with 2010. There are several good articles on the subjects of welder qualification, developing WPS, and the business aspects of offering inspection and testing services as a contractor.

Make sure you read and understand the Code Ethic contained in QC1.

I had about 10 years experience as a CWI and twenty years of experience welding before I hung out my own shingle. I also worked with a number of degreed welding engineers and I returned to Ohio State to take courses in welding engineering before venturing out on my own. I still partner with several engineering firms that provide technical expertise and design services.

Good luck - Al