Back to Jobs

Job Description

Overview

The A Class Structural Welder at Austal USA is responsible for welding various aluminum and steel configurations while ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and environmental standards. The role involves mentoring less-skilled welders and maintaining a clean and organized work environment.

Responsibilities

  • Weld a variety of aluminum and steel configurations including single-pass and multi-pass fillets.
  • Instruct and mentor less-skilled welders as assigned.
  • Maintain safe work practices and adhere to safety policies.
  • Ensure compliance with Austal USA standards and project specifications.
  • Assist other trades or Austal USA employees as directed.
  • Monitor the working environment for compliance with regulations.
  • Complete daily work assignments and ensure quality.
  • Maintain housekeeping and keep the worksite organized.

Requirements

  • Minimum of 1 year as a B-Class Welder at Austal or 2 years of GMAW MIG aluminum welding experience.
  • Ability to pass A Class skills evaluation test.
  • High level of pride in workmanship.
  • Ability to weld in uncomfortable positions.
  • Demonstrated ability to weld fillets for material thicknesses 4mm-25mm.
  • Good mechanical aptitude and ability to produce consistent quality.
  • Ability to read and interpret construction drawings and specifications.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Additional Information

  • Must be able to obtain and maintain required Security Clearance.
  • Candidates must be 18 years or older at the time of application.
  • Willing to submit to a drug screen and background check.
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in San Diego, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $41/hr, this posting sits about 13% above the $36/hr median for welding jobs in San Diego, CA — toward the top of a $33–$39/hr middle band drawn from 18 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 83% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in San Diego, CA

We're tracking 20 other active welding openings in San Diego, CA right now, from 17 different employers. None of them were added in the last week, so this is a slower-moving market. Across California as a whole we're tracking 399 other active welding openings from 208 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in San Diego, or widen the search to California.

Austal USA currently has 7 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (20), Aerotek (17), and Volt (16). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Santa Ana at $48/hr, Los Angeles at $38/hr, and Hawthorne at $36/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG. 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.

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

Similar openings near San Diego, CA

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