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Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars, and this TIG Welder position is part of the Raptor engine system team responsible for constructing and assembling fluid systems for the Raptor rocket engine.

Responsibilities

  • Welding, assembly, and fabrication of various fluid systems and sub-assembly components.
  • Repair casting defects via grinding, welding, and blending.
  • Analyze engineering drawings and specifications to plan welding operations.
  • Read and interpret work instructions and part drawings.
  • Use precision calibrated tools such as micrometers, depth gauges, and calipers.
  • Improve operations, decrease process time, and streamline work processes.
  • Operate general shop equipment and vehicles like forklifts and boom lifts.
  • Conduct in-process inspection.
  • Maintain a clean and safe work area.
  • Take operational ownership of the weld area equipment and processes.
  • Initiate problem solving, cost reductions, and process improvement.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
  • 1+ years of experience with aerospace TIG welding.
  • 1+ years of experience fitting welded assemblies.
  • 3+ years of experience in welding with materials such as stainless steel, carbon steel, Inconel, aluminum, or titanium (preferred).
  • Highly proficient in tube cutting, grinding, and fabrication.
  • Proficient in blueprint reading and layout.
  • Knowledge and experience completing welds that pass visual inspection before being X-rayed or dye penned.
  • Certification with AWS D17.1 and D1.2 (preferred).
  • Experience with overhead cranes and forklifts (preferred).

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Able to work overtime hours and weekends as needed.
  • Able to lift a minimum of 25 lbs. unassisted.
  • Able to stand for extended periods – 8 hours minimum.
  • Able to stoop, bend, crawl, and maneuver in tight spaces.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
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How this job compares in Hawthorne, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $31/hr, this posting comes in about 15% below the $36/hr median for welding jobs in Hawthorne, CA, where the middle half runs $31–$60/hr across 24 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 0% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Hawthorne, CA

We're tracking 24 other active welding openings in Hawthorne, CA right now, from 4 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 Hawthorne, or widen the search to California.

SpaceX currently has 19 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 (19), 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. Hawthorne is among them.

What you'll be running

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

Similar openings near Hawthorne, CA

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