How to Become a Rig Welder
The certifications that actually matter, and the realistic progression from junior welder to specialist or inspector.
Career Path
Junior Welder Entry
Foundational welding skills, basic offshore safety training (BOSIET). Limited to supervised repairs. Working toward AWS CW certification.
Journey Welder Mid
Multiple process qualifications (SMAW, GTAW, FCAW). API 1104 and AWS D1.1 certified. Works independently on structural and pipeline work.
Senior / Specialist Welder Senior
All-position pipe welding, exotic alloy experience. Interprets engineering drawings and works from WPS without supervision.
Underwater Welder / Diver Expert
Combined commercial diver and welder. See the full underwater welding guide.
Welding Inspector (CWI) Expert
AWS Certified Welding Inspector verifies weld quality and approves procedures. Consistent demand regardless of oil price cycles.
Certifications Explained
AWS Certified Welder (CW)
Entry-level performance qualification testing your ability to produce sound welds in specific positions and processes. The starting credential for most rig welding jobs.
API 1104
Pipeline welding standard. Tests welding in multiple positions (including the demanding 6G pipe position) using procedures qualified to this code. Essential for pipeline work.
AWS D1.1
Structural steel welding code. Required for platform, derrick, and structural fabrication and repair work.
ASME Section IX
Governs welding procedure and welder qualification for pressure vessels and piping systems — required for high-pressure vessel work on rigs.
AWS D3.6M
The underwater welding code, covering both wet and hyperbaric welding qualification classes (A, B, and O).
AWS CWI
Certified Welding Inspector — requires welding experience plus a rigorous exam. Moves you from welding to inspecting and approving others' work.
What 1G Through 6G Actually Mean
Welder qualification is defined by position, not by process or appearance. The position you test in determines the positions you are qualified to weld in production — which is why 6G is the one worth having.
| Position | Pipe or Plate | What it means | Qualifies you for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1G | Pipe, rolled | Pipe rotates while you weld; you stay in the flat position throughout. | Flat only |
| 2G | Pipe, vertical | Pipe axis vertical, weld runs horizontally around it. Fixed, no rotation. | Flat, horizontal |
| 5G | Pipe, horizontal fixed | Pipe axis horizontal and fixed. You weld overhead, vertical and flat in a single joint as you travel round. | Flat, vertical, overhead |
| 6G | Pipe, 45° fixed | Pipe fixed at 45°. Every position in one weld, with no comfortable place to start. The hardest of the four. | All positions |
| 6GR | Pipe, 45° with restriction ring | 6G with a plate obstructing access, simulating welding next to structure you cannot move. | All positions, restricted access |
WPS, PQR and WPQ
Three documents that get confused constantly, and that any inspector will ask for. They answer three different questions.
WPS
Welding Procedure Specification. The recipe: process, material, joint design, filler, amperage range, preheat, travel speed. It tells you how the weld is to be made. It is a document about the procedure, not about you.
PQR
Procedure Qualification Record. The evidence that the recipe works — a test weld made to the WPS and then destructively tested. One PQR supports the WPS. It proves the procedure is sound.
WPQ
Welder Performance Qualification. The evidence that you can execute the WPS. This is your ticket, tied to position, process, material group and thickness range. It is what expires.
The practical consequence: turning up with a valid WPQ is not enough on its own. The job needs an approved WPS backed by a PQR for the material and joint in question, and your qualification has to fall within its range. A ticket in carbon steel does not carry over to duplex, and a qualification on 10 mm wall does not automatically cover 25 mm.
Continuity and Renewal
A welder qualification is not a permanent award. Under most codes it stays valid only while you keep using the process — commonly a six month continuity window, after which an unused qualification lapses. Employers usually maintain a continuity log for exactly this reason, and it is worth keeping your own copy rather than relying on a former employer's records.
Requalification means retesting. That is time and money, so a hand who moves between contractors is generally better off keeping tickets live on the processes they actually intend to work, rather than collecting qualifications they will let lapse.
Test costs vary by region and test house, and are frequently paid by the employer once you are on a contract — but rarely before. Budget for funding your own first ticket, and treat any employer who pays for requalification as a reason to stay.