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Job Description

Overview

The Structural Welder is responsible for performing welding and grinding functions according to job specifications, selecting equipment, and planning layout and assembly of welding. The role requires close interaction with supervision and adherence to safety standards.

Responsibilities

  • Actively support the Company’s commitment to safety and its Core Values.
  • Represent the Company with high moral standards while adhering to the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
  • Efficiently produce quality welds.
  • Perform or assist with fit-up and preparation of welds.
  • Perform or assist with post weld cleanup, inspection, and repair.
  • Communicate regularly with the Field Foreman regarding job site issues and concerns.
  • Comply with all Matrix safety policies and programs.
  • Identify safety hazards and take corrective action to eliminate or minimize them.

Requirements

  • Prior related experience and/or training in a fabrication environment.
  • Ability to pass the Carbon Steel Plate Test.
  • Welding certifications: FCAW (Flux Core) – 2G, 3G, 4G; SMAW E6010 (5P) 3G, Downhill; SMAW E7018 – 2G, 3G, 4G.
  • Must obtain and maintain an active status within the drug testing program and pass background screening.
  • Must possess or be able to pass the Basic Safety Council Class Courses.
  • Must complete the Matrix Service Basic Safety training and site-specific training.
  • Must possess a valid TWIC card.
  • Site may require fire retardant clothing.
  • Maintain clean shaven and/or free of facial hair for proper respirator seal.
  • Must be willing to frequently travel/relocate.
  • Must be willing to work frequent overtime.

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation package
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • 401k
  • Life Insurance
  • Ongoing training
  • Opportunity for advancement
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
  • Robust wellness program
  • Adoption assistance

Additional Information

  • The essential job functions and duties are considered safety sensitive.

Benefits

Competitive compensation package
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
Life Insurance
Ongoing training
Opportunity for advancement
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
Robust wellness program
Adoption assistance
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How this job compares in Emporia, VA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Virginia currently run a median of $29/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $25–$34/hr across 90 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 Emporia, VA

Emporia, VA currently has 3 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 3 employers. None of them were added in the last week, so this is a slower-moving market. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 161 other active welding openings from 98 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Emporia, or widen the search to Virginia.

Matrix Service currently has 1 other opening live in Virginia, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Virginia at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Colonna's Shipyard (8), Mission Technologies, a division of HII (7), and Newport News Shipbuilding, A Division of HII (7). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Virginia, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Newport News at $38/hr, Norfolk at $32/hr, and Richmond at $29/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for Stick and Flux-Core 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. Flux-cored (FCAW) runs a hollow wire filled with flux, combining MIG-like deposition rates with the outdoor tolerance of stick. It is the workhorse on heavy structural steel and shipbuilding, where thick sections and long welds reward speed.

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

Certifications this posting mentions

  • 3G / 4G — plate position tests — 3G is welded vertically, 4G overhead. Together they demonstrate you can hold a puddle against gravity, and they are the common entry qualifications for structural and production shops.

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 near Emporia, VA

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 figures were last recalculated when this page was built.