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Job Description

Overview

Optimized Process Designs, LLC (OPD) is seeking a Rig Welder for their jobsite in Galena Park, TX. OPD is an engineering and construction company with expertise in the natural gas and petrochemical industries, known for their integrity and efficient project execution.

Responsibilities

  • Own a portable welding rig including PPE and jack stands.
  • Read drawings, take measurements, read isometrics, and install piping efficiently.
  • Weld pipes, tubes, fittings, and related equipment according to specifications.
  • Operate tools and equipment including angle grinders, beveling machines, cut-off grinders, hammers, torches, magnetic drills, welding machines, and a Saw-Zall.
  • Possess skilled knowledge of pipe fittings, bolts, valves, etc.
  • Have general knowledge of welding equipment and operations.
  • Work with minimal supervision.

Requirements

  • Must pass code welding test: ASME Section IX 6G pipe test (SMAW & GTAW) and AWS D1.1 plate test for structural welds (SMAW).
  • Demonstrate ability to produce welds that are 100% x-ray quality and visually acceptable per ASME B 31.3.
  • 5 years of experience as a welder.
  • Previous experience in a gas plant construction environment.
  • Previous experience being a leader for safety.
  • Strong interpersonal skills.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Jobsite located in Galena Park, TX.
  • Participate in onsite safety meetings.
  • Be on time to the jobsite each day ready for work.
  • Display a positive attitude and be able to work in a team environment.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
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How this job compares

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Texas currently run a median of $28/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $23–$35/hr across 454 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 1,288 other active welding openings from 594 employers. 298 of them were added in the last week. Browse welding jobs across Texas.

Koch currently has 12 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 Austin Industries (31), Welding Shop in Austin, TX (27), 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 San Angelo at $39/hr, La Porte at $38/hr, and Pasadena at $36/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for TIG and Stick 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. 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 oil and gas welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • 6G — a pipe test welded on a joint fixed at a 45-degree incline. Because the torch has to travel through flat, vertical, and overhead angles in a single pass, passing 6G qualifies you for every position on pipe — which is why it is the ticket that separates pipe welders from plate welders on pay.
  • 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. Rig Welder figures were last recalculated when this page was built.