Back to Jobs

Gulf Copper

FCAW Plate Welder - 2nd Class NIGHTS

Location

Tiki Island, TX

Wage

$64,171/yr

Required Skills & Certifications

TIG WeldingStick WeldingFlux-Core Welding
Apply for This Position

Posted on August 18, 2026

Job Description

Overview

Gulf Copper LLC, a subsidiary of Davie Defense, is a leading Marine Repair and New Construction company based in Galveston, Texas, with over 75 years of experience. The FCAW Plate Welder 2nd Class position involves welding SMAW and FCAW on plate/structural materials.

Responsibilities

  • Understand welding procedures and parameters.
  • Comprehend and utilize blueprints, sketches, drawings, and technical manuals.
  • Weld steel plates and pipes in the repair and/or construction of marine vessels.
  • Use various types of welding equipment for different types of metal.
  • Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
  • Perform related tasks such as cutting and grinding.
  • Repair broken or cracked parts and fill holes.
  • Weld metal parts together using various welding processes.
  • Select and set up welding equipment and examine welds to ensure they meet standards.

Requirements

  • High School Diploma or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Six months to one year of experience.
  • Must pass an ABS or ASME weld test.
  • Ability to read and interpret blueprints, sketches, and technical manuals.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Ability to work under deadlines and schedule pressures.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Open-air working conditions such as noisy, hot, and cold environments.
  • Must be able to stand and operate equipment for up to four continuous hours.
  • Some climbing (100 feet or higher) and lifting (50 lbs.) involved.
  • Work on inland and offshore barges or in industrial settings.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
PTO
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in Tiki Island, TX

Pay in context

At roughly $31/hr, this posting sits about 19% above the $26/hr median for welding jobs across Texas — toward the top of a $22–$34/hr middle band drawn from 340 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 67% 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 Tiki Island, TX

Tiki Island, TX is a small market in our index: 2 other active welding openings alongside this one, from 2 employers. Across Texas as a whole we're tracking 914 other active welding openings from 519 employers. With this few local postings, most welders here end up either commuting or looking at travel work. Browse welding jobs across Texas.

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

The most active employers in Texas at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Welding Shop in Houston, TX (21), Zachry Group (20), and Austin Industries (20). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Texas, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Pasadena at $82/hr, Dallas at $35/hr, and La Porte at $32/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for TIG, Stick, and Flux-Core 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. 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 flux-core welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • ASME Section IX — the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code qualification. It covers welding on pressure-retaining equipment — boilers, vessels, and process piping — where a failed weld is a safety incident rather than a rework ticket.

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 Tiki Island, TX

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. FCAW Plate Welder - 2nd Class NIGHTS figures were last recalculated when this page was built.