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Job Description

Overview

The Welder position at HII involves providing expert maintenance and repairs on aircraft carriers as part of the Elevator Support Unit (ESU) contract. The role requires proficiency in various welding processes and the ability to work in marine environments, supporting military operations.

Responsibilities

  • Perform maintenance and repairs on high and low pressure piping systems.
  • Assist in the maintenance, repair, fabrication, and replacement of structural components.
  • Apply various welding processes including preheating, brazing, and flame cutting.
  • Ensure compliance with NAVSEA and OSHA hot work standards during welding operations.
  • Complete all work in accordance with OEM specifications and safety requirements.

Requirements

  • High School education or Trade School equivalent and 6 years of welding experience.
  • Must provide own hand tools as designated per trades specialty.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
  • Proficiency in multiple welding positions and processes (SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, FCAW).
  • Ability to read and interpret technical drawings and OEM specifications.
  • Ability to work in Naval Bases and comply with safety requirements.
  • Ability to conduct torch cutting, hammer forging, grinding, and sawing.
  • Basic mechanic knowledge and ability to operate various tools.
  • Proficiency in SMAW and GTAW welding for various materials.
  • Must pass a structural X-Ray Test for SMAW and a Macro-Etch for thin wall pipe.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO
  • 401k

Additional Information

  • Full-time position located in Chesapeake, VA.
  • Required travel to local shipyards and military bases.
  • Per Diem provided based on location when traveling.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
401k
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How this job compares in Chesapeake, VA

Pay in context

At roughly $28/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $29/hr median for welding jobs in Chesapeake, VA, whose middle half runs $24–$32/hr across 11 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 45% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.

The local market in Chesapeake, VA

We're tracking 14 other active welding openings in Chesapeake, VA right now, from 10 different employers. None of them were added in the last week, so this is a slower-moving market. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 166 other active welding openings from 105 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Chesapeake, or widen the search to Virginia.

Mission Technologies, a division of HII currently has 5 other openings live in Virginia, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Virginia at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Colonna's Shipyard (8), HII (7), and Mission Technologies, a division of HII (5). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Virginia, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Newport News at $41/hr, Staunton at $34/hr, and Norfolk at $32/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG, TIG, Stick, and Flux-Core work. MIG (GMAW) feeds a continuous wire electrode through a shielding-gas nozzle. It lays down metal fast and is forgiving on clean material, which is why it dominates production and light fabrication work. TIG (GTAW) uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode with filler added by hand, giving the operator the most control of any process. It is slow, demanding, and the standard for stainless, aluminum, and anything where the bead has to look as good as it holds.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • NAVSEA — the Naval Sea Systems Command welding standards used on US Navy shipbuilding and repair. Qualification is yard-specific and typically comes with a background check.

Read straight from this posting's text. Confirm the exact qualification the employer wants before you test — requirements vary by shop even under the same code.

Similar openings near Chesapeake, VA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Welder - 28275 figures were last recalculated when this page was built.