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Job Description

Overview

The Pipe Welder (Tacker) position in Richmond, VA involves fit-up and tack welding of pipes and fittings in preparation for final welding, ensuring proper alignment and joint integrity according to specifications.

Responsibilities

  • Perform tack welding on pipe joints, fittings, flanges, and valves per WPS requirements
  • Align, fit, and secure pipe sections using clamps, wedges, and fixtures
  • Read and interpret blueprints, isometrics, and weld symbols
  • Verify pipe dimensions, bevels, and root openings prior to tacking
  • Ensure proper orientation and elevation of pipe runs
  • Assist full-weld pipe welders as needed
  • Inspect tack welds for accuracy, penetration, and defects
  • Follow all safety procedures and jobsite regulations
  • Maintain tools, equipment, and a clean work area

Requirements

  • Previous experience as a pipe fitter or pipe welder tacker
  • Basic welding skills (SMAW, GTAW, or GMAW depending on job)
  • Ability to read isometric drawings and specifications
  • Knowledge of pipe materials (carbon steel, stainless, alloy, etc.)
  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy
  • Ability to work in various positions (standing, kneeling, overhead)
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How this job compares in Richmond, VA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs in Richmond, VA currently run a median of $29/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $25–$30/hr across 10 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 Richmond, VA

We're tracking 13 other active welding openings in Richmond, VA right now, from 10 different employers. 3 of them were added in the last week. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 153 other active welding openings from 93 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Richmond, or widen the search to Virginia.

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 (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 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. Richmond is among them.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG, TIG, 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. 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 pipe welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Similar openings near Richmond, VA

  • Pipe Welder — Atlantic Constructors, Inc. · Richmond, VA
  • Pipe Welder — disABLEDperson Inc · Richmond, VA · $26–$33/hr
  • Pipe Welder — Southern Air Inc · Richmond, VA · $19–$38/hr
  • Welder — Old Dominion Brush Company · Richmond, VA · $20–$25/hr
  • Welder (Shop) — Shirley Contracting Company, LLC · Richmond, VA · $20–$35/hr
  • Welder — Gaylor Electric, Inc. · Richmond, VA

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