Job Description

Overview

The Welder position at Blue Bird involves installing jigs, conducting quality checks, and performing welding tasks using MIG and stick welding equipment. Blue Bird is a recognized leader in the school bus manufacturing industry, focusing on safety, reliability, and innovation in student transportation.

Responsibilities

  • Install correct jig, parts, and set up machinery for production of parts.
  • Conduct quality checks and control shop paperwork to meet production standards.
  • Weld, assemble, and install parts.
  • Implement wire feed and gas for correct weld.
  • Weld using MIG and stick welding equipment.
  • Notify supervisor when issues arise.
  • Operate within standard operating procedures and job safety analysis.
  • Maintain a safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
  • Attend daily safety department meetings.
  • Communicate with supervisors and team members throughout the shift to ensure clarity on daily tasks.
  • Understand and follow written and verbal instructions.
  • Adapt to a changing environment.

Requirements

  • High School Diploma or equivalent G.E.D.
  • Must pass criminal background check, drug screen, and physical.
  • Must pass Blue Bird welding certification within 90 days of hire or transfer into a welding position.
  • Work under the guidance of a certified welder during the 90 days prior to achieving Blue Bird welding certification.
  • Welding certificate from a previous employer or technical school will be accepted in lieu of the Blue Bird Certification.
  • Must pass Blue Bird Welding Evaluation and Medical Respiratory Evaluation.

Benefits

Additional Information

  • Work in a manufacturing environment with exposure to heat, cold, noise, and fumes.
  • Fast-paced environment with moving objects, sharp edges, and congested working areas.
  • Physical tasks include pushing, pulling, kneeling, reaching overhead, grasping, and lifting up to 50 pounds.
  • Wear welding hood with temperatures ranging from 40 to 115 degrees.

How this job compares in Fort Valley, GA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Georgia currently run a median of $29/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $22–$38/hr across 164 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 in Fort Valley, GA

This is the only active welding job we're currently tracking in Fort Valley, GA, which makes it worth moving on quickly — there is no local competing offer to weigh it against. Across Georgia as a whole we're tracking 401 other active welding openings from 255 employers. Browse welding jobs across Georgia.

The most active employers in Georgia at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Classic Collision (8), Southern Industrial Constructors, Inc. (7), and Yancey Bros. Co. (6). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Georgia, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Marietta at $39/hr, Forest Park at $39/hr, and Atlanta at $31/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG and Stick 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.

Similar openings near Fort Valley, GA

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