Which Welding Certifications Actually Matter When You’re Starting Out

Finishing a welding program and being a certified welder are two different things. Training prepares you to test, and passing the test is what goes on a credential. That distinction matters because the welding certification landscape is wide, and not all of it is worth pursuing at the start.

Most entry-level welding paths are built around two things:

• An AWS Certified Welder (CW) credential
• The right position certifications

Everything else is a later-stage credential with prerequisites that most people starting out don’t yet meet. With 320,500 new welding professionals projected to be needed by 2029 and roughly 82,500 positions opening each year through that period, training programs are filling fast, and knowing which credentials to pursue from day one keeps you from wasting time and money on the wrong ones.

The Credentials the Industry Is Built Around

The American Welding Society (AWS) credentialing system defines what counts as a recognized, portable welding credential. These are the ones that hold up from job to job and worksite to worksite at entry level.

 
These are the starting credentials. The sections below explain the system behind them, which to skip, and what to look for in a program that prepares you to actually earn them.

Why the AWS Certified Welder Credential Should Come First

The AWS Certified Welder is the foundational welding credential in the United States. It has no formal prerequisites; no documented work experience, no prior certification, and no degree required. You demonstrate skill on the test, and the test is what counts. That makes it the right starting point for anyone coming out of a training program with no prior paid welding work on their record.

The CW is tested at AWS Accredited Testing Facilities (ATFs) and tied to the individual welder, not to a specific employer or job site. That portability matters. An employer Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) qualifies you to weld on a specific project under a specific set of conditions. It works for that job and often doesn’t transfer. The AWS CW travels with you.

The credential is both process-specific and position-specific. You certify in a welding process at a position, and a certification in one process does not cover another. Each requires its own test. 

For someone starting out, the process order matters:

• SMAW (Stick) first. Stick welding tests fundamentals directly. There is less equipment to compensate for technique gaps, and it is used across structural and fabrication work. It is the harder process to learn and the one that reveals the most about a welder’s actual skill level.
• GMAW (MIG) second. MIG is faster to learn and widely used in production and manufacturing environments. It is the second process worth certifying in, not the first.

Training programs that connect students to ATFs shorten the gap between completing a program and holding a credential. Students who graduate without that connection have to locate and fund their own testing independently.

How Welding Position Certifications Work

Because the AWS CW is both process-specific and position-specific, understanding the position side of the credential tells you which tests to prioritize. The position coding system works like this: the number identifies the welding position, and G indicates a groove weld.

• 1G — flat position; the weld pool is supported by gravity, making this the most controlled starting point
• 2G — horizontal position
• 3G — vertical position, welding upward or downward along a vertical seam
• 4G — overhead position, the most physically demanding of the four plate positions

Qualifying in a harder position covers the easier ones below it. Passing 3G qualifies you for 1G and 2G. Passing 4G qualifies you for 1G, 2G, and 4G. Neither test alone covers all four positions, which is where the combination becomes important. Pipe positions — 5G and 6G — are a separate track entirely and are not the starting point for most entry-level welding paths.

Why 3G and 4G Are the Positions That Matter at Entry Level

The 3G and 4G tests taken together cover every plate position in the AWS system. That combination is the foundation of structural, fabrication, and shipyard work, which requires welders to operate in any orientation without restriction.

Taking both tests matters for a specific reason. Holding only a 3G leaves the overhead position uncovered. Holding only a 4G leaves the vertical position uncovered. Some projects accept one or the other depending on the scope of the work. 

The combined qualification under AWS D1.1 covers all plate positions at unlimited thickness. There is no plate welding situation where it leaves you short.

The entry-level credential target stated plainly is an AWS CW in SMAW (3G/4G plate) and an AWS CW in GMAW (3G plate).

The Certifications That Can Wait

Several welding credentials carry real weight in the field and are worth building toward over a career. None of them make sense as starting credentials, and pursuing them without the right foundation wastes time and money. What makes each of them a later-stage credential is the requirements attached to them, not the difficulty of the work itself.

Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) 

AWS requires a minimum of five years of welding-related experience, or an accredited engineering or welding technology degree combined with work history. The exam pass rate is around 65% even for experienced candidates, largely because the written and code-specific portions are underestimated. The CWI is a credential to work toward over a career, not pursue on the way in.

ASME Section IX

This code governs welding on pressure vessels and boilers. Workers are typically qualified under ASME by the employer for a specific project, not independently certified upfront. It follows work rather than precedes it.

API 1104

The American Petroleum Institute’s pipeline welding code carries premium pay in oil and gas work. Around 78% of refinery contractors require it for inspection-related roles. It is a meaningful credential in the right sector, but it belongs after pipe position experience, not before it.

6G Pipe Certification

The 6G position places a pipe at a fixed 45-degree angle, requiring the welder to work through every position in a single continuous weld. It is the most demanding qualification test in the field and the standard for pipeline welding. Getting there requires a base of real pipe experience first.

The pattern across all four is the same. Each carries a prerequisite — an experience threshold, an employer context, or a prior credential — that makes it impractical to pursue without a foundation already in place.

What to Look For in a Training Program Before You Enroll

The 3G and 4G tests require a specific kind of preparation. Passing them on the first attempt takes significant practice time in vertical and overhead positions, not just flat. A program that weights instruction heavily toward 1G work sends graduates into position tests they have not adequately prepared for. The gap between completing a program and passing a position test can cost weeks and money that most people starting out don’t have to spare.

Two questions are worth asking before enrolling anywhere:

• Does the program train in all plate positions, including 3G and 4G, under test-like conditions?
• Does the program have an ATF connection or testing support, or are graduates responsible for finding and funding certification testing on their own?

A well-structured welding program prepares students for the certification tests, not just the processes. A student who finishes without position-specific preparation and ATF access has to bridge that gap independently.

Tulsa Welding School’s Professional Welding program covers SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, and pipe processes with hands-on instruction structured around the positions the AWS credential system tests. The training is built around the tests, not around general exposure to welding. A student who completes it leaves prepared to pursue the AWS CW credentials that form the foundation of an entry-level welding career.

If you are ready to take the next step, request more information about program structure, upcoming start dates, and how to get started.