Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. The TIG Welder, Heatshield role involves building and integrating thermal hardware subassemblies for the Starship vehicle's re-entry protection.

Responsibilities

  • Weld GTAW class A welds and fabricate metal components.
  • Collaborate with lead welder to assess weld procedures and materials.
  • Analyze engineering drawings to plan welding operations.
  • Improve operations and streamline work processes.
  • Perform related duties to ensure an efficient work environment.
  • Weld assembly and fabrication of various structures.
  • Communicate effectively with management and engineering staff.
  • Modify, repair, assemble, and install launch vehicles.
  • Check work for completion per drawings.
  • Handle and dispose of hazardous materials properly.
  • Install and assemble tooling and machinery for tank structure.
  • Setup safety equipment and work platforms at elevation.
  • Operate general shop equipment and vehicles.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
  • 1+ years of experience with TIG welding in a manufacturing environment or welding certificate from an accredited program within the last 2 years.
  • 10+ years of experience in TIG welding with materials like stainless steel, carbon steel, Inconel, aluminum, and titanium (preferred).
  • Highly proficient in tube cutting, grinding, and fabrication (preferred).
  • Experience with class A welds (preferred).
  • Certifications with AWS D17.1 and D1.2 (preferred).
  • Knowledge of DC welding techniques and engineering requirements (preferred).
  • Knowledge of welding trade tools, materials, and practices (preferred).
  • Knowledge of occupational hazards and safety precautions (preferred).
  • Experience with overhead cranes and forklifts (preferred).
  • Ability to use precision measuring instruments (preferred).
  • Ability to rapidly change roles in a high-paced environment.

Additional Information

  • Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary.

How this job compares

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, TIG welder jobs across Texas currently run a median of $25/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $24–$26/hr across 17 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 1,014 other active welding openings from 546 employers. 98 of them were added in the last week. Browse welding jobs across Texas.

SpaceX currently has 9 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 (27), Zachry Group (21), and Welding Shop in Austin, TX (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 TIG. 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.

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

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. TIG Welder, Heatshield (Starship) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.