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Steel Craft

Welder Trainee

Location

Hartford, WI

Wage

$34,262/yr

Employment Type

Temporary

Required Skills & Certifications

MIG WeldingTIG Welding
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Posted on August 18, 2026

Job Description

Overview

Steel Craft is seeking motivated individuals to join as Robotic Welder Trainees, providing an entry-level opportunity that includes three weeks of hands-on welding training followed by supervised on-the-job experience.

Responsibilities

  • Complete classroom and hands-on training in welding operations, equipment controls, safety, and quality.
  • Operate automated MIG and TIG robotic welding equipment under supervision.
  • Read basic blueprints, specifications, and welding symbols.
  • Load and position parts correctly for welding.
  • Visually inspect welds and completed parts for defects.
  • Perform basic quality checks and document results.
  • Identify equipment or weld-quality concerns and notify the appropriate team member.
  • Enter production and job information into company computer systems.
  • Assist with minor rework, material handling, stacking, and packing.
  • Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area.
  • Follow all company safety, quality, and operating procedures.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalent.
  • Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and stand, bend, or move for extended periods.
  • Basic mechanical aptitude and familiarity with hand/power tools.
  • Willingness to learn new tasks and follow verbal and written instructions.
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
  • Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
  • Reliable attendance and punctuality.
  • Ability to follow all safety rules and procedures.

Benefits

Vision
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How this job compares in Hartford, WI

Pay in context

At roughly $16/hr, this posting comes in about 43% below the $29/hr median for welding jobs in Hartford, WI, where the middle half runs $22–$30/hr across 8 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 Hartford, WI

Hartford, WI currently has 9 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 7 employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across Wisconsin as a whole we're tracking 171 other active welding openings from 118 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Hartford, or widen the search to Wisconsin.

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

The most active employers in Wisconsin at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are QPS Employment Group (10), JARP Industries Inc (9), and SEEK Careers/Staffing (5). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Wisconsin, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Oshkosh at $30/hr, Hartford at $29/hr, and Waukesha at $26/hr. Hartford is among them.

What you'll be running

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

Similar openings near Hartford, WI

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