The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $53,750 as of May 2025, with the top quartile clearing $63,010. Certification is a large part of the welder requirements that separate those two numbers.
The AWS Certified Welder credential is a performance qualification earned at an Accredited Test Facility, not a license issued by a state. Employers, unions, ASME, API, and CWB each run their own qualification systems on top of that, with different fees, renewal rules, and geographic weight.
Cost, test selection, and the every-six-months maintenance requirement are where most first-time candidates get tripped up.
What Welding Certification Really Means (And What It Doesn't)
More welders are getting certified earlier in their careers now that employers routinely require proof of skill before a hire ever strikes an arc. That shift makes it worth being precise about what welder certifications actually are, because the term gets thrown around loosely.
A performance qualification, not a license
An AWS Certified Welder credential, or any certification issued under a code like D1.1 or B2.1, is a performance qualification. It confirms that on a specific date, using a specific process, position, and material thickness, you produced a weld that passed visual inspection and destructive or nondestructive testing. It is not a government-issued license, and no state welding board exists to revoke it. Think of it closer to a pilot's type rating on a specific aircraft than a driver's license that covers all vehicles.
A snapshot, not a career summary
Because certification is tied to a moment, a process, and a joint configuration, it does not vouch for your overall competency across every welding scenario, nor does it grant you authority to sign off on structural work or run a contracting business. A 3G FCAW Certification says nothing about your ability to pass a 6G pipe test in GTAW.
The licensing misconception
Most welders never need a license to work. Welding itself is not a licensed trade the way electrical or plumbing work often is. The confusion usually comes from contractor licensing, which some cities and states require only if you're starting a welding business or pulling permits, not for the act of welding itself.
Requirements vary by employer and jurisdiction
What one employer, union hall, or inspection authority accepts as valid can differ sharply from another, so always confirm requirements before you test.
The AWS Certified Welder Program: How Testing Works at an Accredited Test Facility
The AWS Certified Welder credential is earned by completing a hands-on weld test at an AWS Accredited Test Facility, not by passing a written exam or obtaining a state license.
Finding and Registering at a Test Facility
Use the AWS website's Accredited Test Facility locator to search by city, state, or ZIP code for facilities near you. Contact the ATF directly to schedule a test date and register. There is no separate classroom prerequisite for the AWS Certified Welder program, but AWS expects candidates to read the QC47 specification and the supplement for the test they plan to take before testing. Bring a government-issued photo ID on test day; the testing site will require it.
What Test Day Looks Like
The ATF administers the performance qualification test. Confirm with your facility what personal protective equipment and tools they expect you to bring. The facility generally supplies the welding machine, base material, and filler metal for the selected process and position. After you complete the weld, the ATF inspects it according to the applicable AWS standard. This often includes visual inspection and, for many groove welds, destructive weld testing to confirm sound metal fusion. A pass is tied to a specific process, position, and material, such as a 3G SMAW Certification, not to general welding ability.
After You Pass
Once you pass, the ATF forwards your application, qualifications test record, and payment to AWS. Application processing takes up to two weeks after AWS receives a complete package, and the exact timing varies by facility. After processing, digital credential access usually arrives by email within two to three weeks. The digital credential is linked to the specific test record, so your certification reflects the exact process, position, and material tested. It is not a broad welding license, so keeping it current depends on the maintenance requirements for the relevant code or standard.
Choosing Your AWS Test: Process, Position, and Material (D1.1 Plate and B2.1 Pipe)
Structural steel plate work and pressure pipe work require two different qualification paths. AWS D1.1 (Structural Welding Code, Steel, 2025 edition) governs steel plate and structural pipe for buildings, bridges, and heavy fabrication. AWS B2.1 (Specification for Welding Procedure and Performance Qualification, 2021 edition) is the broader, modular standard used across pressure work, cross-industry fabrication, and any job where the employer or code points to it. Pick the one that matches the product you will actually weld.
D1.1 vs B2.1 in Practice
D1.1 qualification is selected by process, product form (plate or pipe), position, coupon thickness or diameter, and joint detail. A distinctive D1.1 wrinkle is the T, K, and Y structural weldment test, which uses a restricting ring to simulate limited access on tubular connections.1 B2.1 does not require that special configuration.
B2.1 is organized around base metal groups (its Annex C is the same document AWS publishes as its base metal grouping reference) and covers SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, SAW, OFW, PAW, plus stud, electroslag, and electrogas welding, at manual, semiautomatic, mechanized, and automatic levels.2 Selection factors are process, position, base metal group, and thickness or diameter.
Position Designations
Positions describe how the coupon is oriented during the test, and each qualifies you for that position plus generally the easier ones below it:
- 1G: flat groove, plate or pipe rolled. Entry-level scope.
- 2G: horizontal groove. Plate stays vertical with a horizontal weld axis; pipe axis is vertical.
- 3G: vertical groove on plate , 3G MIG Welding Certification covers vertical-up MIG.
- 4G: overhead groove on plate , 4G SMAW Certification covers overhead SMAW.
- 5G: pipe fixed horizontal, welded in multiple positions around the circumference.
- 6G: pipe fixed at 45 degrees, the broadest single 6G Pipe Welding test and the common benchmark for pipeline and process piping work.
Combining 3G and 4G on plate typically qualifies all plate positions. A 6G pipe test typically qualifies all pipe positions and, depending on the governing code, plate as well.
Thickness and Diameter Ranges
D1.1 Table 4.11 sets the plate thickness scope. A coupon between 3/8 in and 1 in qualifies you from 1/8 in up to 2T, so a 3/4 in plate coupon qualifies work up to 1.5 in thick. Pipe ranges follow the diameter and position tables in the edition applied. B2.1 ranges depend on the specific qualification path and base metal group.
Match the coupon to the product form and the position to the hardest orientation you expect to weld. Position-specific walkthroughs live under /welding-certification/.
What Does Welding Certification Cost? A Line-By-Line Breakdown
Welding certification costs vary by facility, welding process, and region. The published AWS program fee is the same for members and non-members, but test-day charges at an Accredited Test Facility can range widely. The ranges below reflect multiple facility sources and do not include travel, retest fees, or employer sponsorship, which may lower out-of-pocket costs.
| Cost Item | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Welder application fee | $70 | Published member and non-member price is $70. |
| AWS Accredited Test Facility performance test, per test plate | $35 to $75 | Depends on the facility, welding process, and material. |
| AWS Certified Welder preparation | $100 to $500 | Preparation costs vary by training program and study approach. |
| AWS Certified Welder preparation and testing | $170 to $650 | Combined estimate for preparation and the performance test. |
| EVIT AWS Accredited Test Facility | $350 | Includes one coupon for each position and two specimens per coupon. |
| Southeast Technical College AWS Accredited Test Facility | $300 to $500 | Materials are supplied by Southeast Tech. Students provide their own PPE. |
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Other Welding Certifications and Licensing: Employer, Union, ASME, API, CWB, and State Rules
Most welders do not need a separate government license to weld. Unless a state, municipal authority, contract, or code says otherwise, qualification is usually tied to a specific process, position, and material through an employer, union, or published standard. Alabama, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island have additional state-level certification requirements for certain structural or pressure-vessel work, and individual cities or projects can add local licensing rules.
| Credential | Issuing body | Typical use | License required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Welder | American Welding Society (AWS), through accredited test facilities | General welding, fabrication, and structural welding; qualification covers process, position, and material | No separate government welding license from AWS; required only if employer, contract, code, or jurisdiction demands it |
| Employer-based welder qualification | The employer, contractor, testing facility, or inspection authority administering the test | Job-specific fabrication, production welding, repair, farm equipment, and custom work | No general government license; needed when employer, contract, or code requires it |
| Union apprenticeship credential | The union or apprenticeship program | Ironworking, pipefitting, construction, structural welding, and process piping | No universal government welding license; additional employer, code, contract, or jurisdictional qualifications may apply |
| ASME Section IX welder qualification | Employer or contractor under ASME Section IX | Boilers, pressure vessels, process piping, and other pressure-containing work | No universal ASME-issued license; code, project, employer, or jurisdiction may require Section IX performance qualification |
| API 1104 welder qualification | Employer or contractor under API 1104 | Pipeline welding, including oil and gas pipeline work | No universal API-issued license; pipeline employer, contract, standard, or jurisdiction may require API 1104 qualification |
| CWB welder certification | Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) under CSA W47.1, W47.2, and W186 | Canadian structural steel, aluminum, reinforcing-steel, and related construction | Generally no separate provincial license; most Canadian structural projects require CWB certification by standard |
Welder pay is far from uniform across the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), the highest-paying metro areas pay welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers well above the national median, with specialized pipeline, refinery, and shipyard work driving much of that gap. A certification that matches local industry often matters more than the city itself.
Did you know welder pay varies more than most trades? According to BLS data for May 2025, the top 25 percent of welders earned $63,850 or more annually, while the bottom 25 percent earned $38,220 or less, a spread of over $25,000 driven largely by certification level, position testing, and pipe versus plate specialty.
Welder Pay: Wage Distribution
National welder pay shows a clear middle: half of all welders earn between about $46,800 and $63,000 a year, with the median at $53,750. The range is wide enough to matter by industry, location, and certifications.
Welder Pay by State: Top-Paying States and Employment
For context, the national median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers provides a baseline, but the top-paying states below pay well above it. These figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
| State | Median Annual Salary | Total Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $80,840 | 790 |
| Hawaii | $79,000 | 520 |
| Connecticut | $64,880 | 1,790 |
| Wyoming | $63,820 | 1,850 |
| Washington | $63,020 | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $62,570 | 2,830 |
| New Hampshire | $62,360 | 1,110 |
| Louisiana | $62,250 | 13,690 |
| Maine | $62,220 | 1,690 |
| North Dakota | $62,000 | 2,590 |