For welding inspectors, one of the more lucrative contracts you can get as a welding inspector is to be contracted by the big clients, BP, shell etc as a third party welding inspector working directly under the client to ensure that the WPS and welding work is up to scratch, you may also be required to also do steel inspection on structures depending on the what project you are performing on.

You do know that to be certified as cswip 3.1 you need at least 2 years working exp as a 3.0 visual welding inspector before you are allowed to fully certified as a scwip 3.1 welding inspector? Its more lucrative if you were find work as freelance welding inspector which they pay quite well and go according to a daily rate. I used to do some freelance work as a welding inspector for noble drilling and i made more in a week then a fresh grad makes in a month. Plus my food expenses, accomodation and flights were all covered by them and since i was working overseas, it was all tax free.

An example would be a colleague of mine who is certified cswip 3.1 like me but his primary task is to do steel inspection and to survey the workers and work being done onboard a ship since he has around 10 years exp as a marine ship inspector in his previous job. Once in awhile he does actual welding inspection, but for the most part, he is just there as the client representative who surveys the work being done and to report to the head surveyor on the progress of work done onboard the ship and to do visual inspection on various parts of the ship which have a higher chance of corrosion and to do thickness measurements on it and advise the client on whether repair work are in order.