Job Description

Overview

Optimized Process Designs, LLC (OPD) is seeking a Structural Welder for their jobsite in Baytown, TX. OPD is an engineering and construction company with expertise in the natural gas and petrochemical industries, known for its integrity and ability to execute projects efficiently.

Responsibilities

  • Own a portable welding rig including PPE and jack stands.
  • Weld skids, structural steel, and related equipment according to specifications.
  • Read drawings and recognize basic symbols for job application.
  • Operate tools and equipment including angle grinders, beveling machines, and torches.
  • Possess skilled knowledge of welding processes required (GMAW and/or SMAW).
  • Exhibit knowledge of material identification and welder equipment set-up.
  • Work with minimal supervision.
  • Work safely and accurately.

Requirements

  • At least 2 years of structural welding experience.
  • Must own the necessary tools for welding and fabrication of structural steel.
  • Pass code welding tests: ASME Section IX 6G pipe test and AWS D1.1 plate test.
  • Produce welds that are visually acceptable per construction code ASME B 31.3.
  • Maintain equipment in a condition that does not compromise safety.
  • Work shifts up to 12 hours per day and 7 days per week.
  • Meet all physical demands of the job.
  • Attend mandatory safety meetings.
  • Be a safety role model.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Jobsite located in Baytown, TX.
  • Capable of working in outdoor weather conditions including extreme heat and cold.
  • Lifting and carrying awkward objects up to 60 lbs.
  • Standing for extended periods of time up to 11 hours per day.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO

How this job compares in Baytown, TX

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, structural welder jobs across Texas currently run a median of $31/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $26–$44/hr across 29 postings with published pay. That median is a reasonable floor to anchor on when a recruiter asks what you're looking for.

The local market in Baytown, TX

We're tracking 62 other active welding openings in Baytown, TX right now, from 27 different employers. 19 of them were added in the last week. Across Texas as a whole we're tracking 1,339 other active welding openings from 721 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Baytown, or widen the search to Texas.

Optimized Process Designs LLC currently has 13 other openings 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 (27), Zachry Group (22), and Austin Industries (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 Texas, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Pasadena at $40/hr, Arlington at $39/hr, and Midlothian at $38/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG and Stick 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.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • 6Ga pipe test welded on a joint fixed at a 45-degree incline. Because the torch has to travel through flat, vertical, and overhead angles in a single pass, passing 6G qualifies you for every position on pipe — which is why it is the ticket that separates pipe welders from plate welders on pay.
  • AWS D1.1the American Welding Society's Structural Welding Code for steel. It governs almost all building and structural steel work in the US, so a D1.1 qualification is the baseline credential for construction and ironworking.
  • ASME Section IXthe 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 Baytown, TX

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