Back to Jobs

Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. As a structural welder on the ground support equipment team, you'll fabricate and repair structures that support Starship's launches and tests during the night shift.

Responsibilities

  • Execute welding assignments and procedures for constructing and repairing site structural stands.
  • Cut, trim, or scarf metal objects and fit components to precise dimensions.
  • Interpret engineering drawings and specifications under lead welder supervision.
  • Operate hand welding and flame-cutting equipment to join metal components.
  • Visually inspect welds to AWS D1.1 and ASME B31.3 standards.
  • Secure and maintain internal licenses, operator permits, or certifications.
  • Continuously optimize operations and collaborate across teams.
  • Adapt to shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
  • 2+ years of hands-on experience with flux-cored arc welding (FCAW).
  • 5+ years in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), and oxy-acetylene cutting preferred.
  • Strong knowledge of welding techniques, metallurgy, and AWS/ASME codes.
  • Proficiency with standard welding tools and precision measuring instruments.
  • Understanding of ferrous/non-ferrous metals and complex fabrications.
  • Familiarity with occupational hazards and safety precautions.
  • Ability to pivot quickly between roles in a high-paced setting.

Benefits

Additional Information

  • Valid driver’s license required.
  • Work in extreme outdoor environments.
  • Must be available for overtime and weekends.
  • Typical hours are 6:00 pm – 6:00 am.
  • Physical requirements include standing, sitting, lifting, and climbing.
Apply for This Position

How this job compares

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, structural welder jobs across Texas currently run a median of $31/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $27–$34/hr across 22 postings with published pay. That median is a reasonable floor to anchor on when a recruiter asks what you're looking for.

The local market

This posting doesn't specify a city. Across Texas as a whole we're tracking 1,009 other active welding openings from 540 employers. 102 of them were added in the last week. Browse welding jobs across Texas.

SpaceX currently has 8 other openings live in Texas, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Texas at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Welding Shop in Houston, TX (28), Welding Shop in Austin, TX (23), and Zachry Group (21). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Texas, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Pasadena at $40/hr, Midlothian at $38/hr, and Dallas at $35/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG, 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. Stick (SMAW) burns a flux-coated consumable rod and needs no shielding gas, so it works in wind, rain, and on dirty or rusted steel. That tolerance for bad conditions keeps it the default for field, structural, and repair work.

See all structural welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • AWS D1.1 — the American Welding Society's Structural Welding Code for steel. It governs almost all building and structural steel work in the US, so a D1.1 qualification is the baseline credential for construction and ironworking.
  • ASME Section IX — the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code qualification. It covers welding on pressure-retaining equipment — boilers, vessels, and process piping — where a failed weld is a safety incident rather than a rework ticket.

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

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Structural Welder, Massey's Test Site - Night Shift figures were last recalculated when this page was built.