Job Description

Overview

Airgas is hiring a Plant Operator in Elk Grove Village, IL, responsible for safely operating equipment for the handling and production of packaged gas cylinders. The company is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, offering a comprehensive benefits package.

Responsibilities

  • Safely operate equipment for handling and production of packaged gas cylinders.
  • Load and unload gas cylinders onto and off of route trucks and trailers.
  • Sort empty cylinders by type.
  • Roll cylinders and operate a forklift truck for movement on pallets.
  • Understand hazards of various gases and accurately label cylinders.
  • Handle high-pressure, medical, and liquid cylinders.
  • Prepare high-pressure cylinders and cryogenic vessels for filling.
  • Perform basic cylinder maintenance such as painting and cleaning.
  • Inspect cylinders prior to filling following standard procedures.
  • Conduct safety checks such as odor tests and checking caps and valves.
  • Fill cylinders by pressure and weight per regulations.
  • Check for cylinder quantities and assist with inventory.
  • Manage paperwork to DOT, FDA, OSHA, and Airgas standards.

Requirements

  • HS Diploma or equivalent.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to read and interpret safety rules and procedure manuals.
  • Detail-oriented.
  • Ability to safely operate a forklift.
  • Ability to perform math functions.
  • Lives by Airgas safety programs and OSHA regulations.
  • Valid employment authorization in the U.S. with no visa sponsorship required.

Benefits

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

Additional Information

  • Location: Elk Grove Village, IL
  • Work Schedule: Monday - Friday
  • Pay: $22 hr
  • Benefits start after 30 days of employment.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
401k

How this job compares in Elk Grove Village, IL

Pay in context

At roughly $22/hr, this posting comes in about 31% below the $32/hr median for welding jobs across Illinois, where the middle half runs $27–$39/hr across 265 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 8% 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 Elk Grove Village, IL

Elk Grove Village, IL currently has 5 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 4 employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 371 other active welding openings from 240 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Elk Grove Village, or widen the search to Illinois.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Staff on Site (13), S&C Electric Company (12), and Gerber Collision & Glass (11). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Chicago at $38/hr, Itasca at $36/hr, and Downers Grove at $36/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Elk Grove Village, IL

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