TIG Welder, Heatshield (Starship)
Location
Location not specified
Posted on July 26, 2026
Location
Location not specified
Posted on July 26, 2026
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.