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Job Description

Overview

The B Class Structural Welder position at Austal involves performing welding tasks under the supervision of the Fabrication Supervisor, ensuring compliance with quality and safety regulations, and maintaining a clean work environment. Candidates should have relevant experience and be able to work flexible shifts.

Responsibilities

  • Understand directions and follow instructions.
  • Complete daily work assignments and ensure quality and signatures for work completion.
  • Maintain cleanliness and organization on assigned job sites.
  • Perform grinding and joint preparation meeting NDE and visual inspection criteria.
  • Monitor the working environment for compliance with regulations.
  • Train lower-skilled workers as needed.
  • May be assigned to work any shift and perform tasks outside the craft.

Requirements

  • Minimum 6 months experience as a Trades Assistant at Austal or 1 year related experience in a similar industry.
  • Completion of an Austal USA approved Structural Welding training course may count towards experience.
  • Must pass GMAW Aluminum 'B' Class and/or FCAW Steel 'B' Weld Certification.
  • Ability to perform grinding, arc gouging, and back gouging of steel welds.
  • Demonstrate safe and effective use of craft-related tools and equipment.
  • Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions and write simple correspondence.
  • Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and measure using the metric system.
  • Two years of maritime experience.
  • Ability to work any shift or overtime as required.

Additional Information

  • Candidates must be 18 years or older.
  • Must provide proof of US Person Status.
  • No felony convictions of Theft/Deception or Violent crimes within seven years.
  • No felony convictions of Drug crimes within three years.
  • Willing to submit to a drug screen and background check.
  • Must be able to tour all vessels and work sites.
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How this job compares in San Diego, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $37/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $36/hr median for welding jobs in San Diego, CA, whose middle half runs $32–$39/hr across 23 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 57% 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 San Diego, CA

We're tracking 26 other active welding openings in San Diego, CA right now, from 19 different employers. 2 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 596 other active welding openings from 294 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in San Diego, or widen the search to California.

Austal USA currently has 8 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 (34), Aerotek (16), 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 Redondo Beach at $65/hr, Long Beach at $49/hr, and Santa Ana at $48/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG 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. Flux-cored (FCAW) runs a hollow wire filled with flux, combining MIG-like deposition rates with the outdoor tolerance of stick. It is the workhorse on heavy structural steel and shipbuilding, where thick sections and long welds reward speed.

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

Similar openings near San Diego, CA

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