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Job Description

Overview

The A Class Structural Welder position at Austal involves welding various aluminum and steel configurations while ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards. The role requires a high level of skill and the ability to mentor less-skilled welders, with responsibilities including maintaining a clean work environment and adhering to Austal's policies.

Responsibilities

  • Weld a variety of aluminum and steel configurations in compliance with safety and quality standards.
  • Instruct and mentor less-skilled welders as assigned.
  • Maintain safe work practices and adhere to safety policies and procedures.
  • Ensure correct construction procedures are followed according to Austal USA standards.
  • Keep the worksite clean and organized.
  • Monitor the working environment for compliance with regulations and report deficiencies.
  • Assist other trades or Austal USA employees as directed.
  • Complete daily work assignments and ensure quality.
  • Maintain and perform routine preventive maintenance on welding equipment.

Requirements

  • Minimum of 1 year as a B-Class Welder at Austal or 2 years of GMAW MIG aluminum welding and/or FCAW/GMAW steel 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.
  • Ability to read and interpret construction drawings and job specifications.
  • Good mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain required Security Clearance.
  • Must be 18 years or older and able to provide proof of US Person Status.

Additional Information

  • Must be flexible to work shifts or overtime as required.
  • The work environment may include humid conditions, high places, and loud noise levels.
  • Must comply with company, federal, state, and local safety and environmental regulations.

Benefits

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How this job compares in Encinitas, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $41/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $41/hr median for structural welder jobs across California, whose middle half runs $37–$46/hr across 8 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 38% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.

The local market in Encinitas, CA

Encinitas, CA is a small market in our index: 2 other active welding openings alongside this one, from 2 employers. Across California as a whole we're tracking 399 other active welding openings from 208 employers. With this few local postings, most welders here end up either commuting or looking at travel work. Browse welding jobs across 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, Stick, and Flux-Core 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.

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

Similar openings near Encinitas, 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.