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BAE Systems

Structural Fabricator- Submarine Program (Tidewater Tech)

Location

Jacksonville, FL

Wage

$46,966 – $85,030/yr

Employment Type

Full-time

Required Skills & Certifications

Stick WeldingFlux-Core Welding
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Posted on September 15, 2026

Job Description

Overview

BAE Systems Jacksonville, Florida is seeking to hire Fitter/Fabricators for their Submarine Program, offering a career with growth opportunities and great benefits. The role involves production fitting operations in a fabrication shop, working with various metal components and welding processes.

Responsibilities

  • Fabricate and fit metal components and structures to precise specifications.
  • Assemble and install materials such as beams, channels, angles, and plates.
  • Work with a wide range of materials, including steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.
  • Utilize metalworking techniques such as welding, cutting, grinding, and shaping materials.
  • Read and derive measurements, dimensions, and quantity of materials needed for fabrication.
  • Interpret blueprints, section and plan drawings, and weld symbols.
  • Use industry tools and equipment, including stop plates, dogs, strong backs, and pad eyes.
  • Operate shop equipment such as iron workers, break presses, and plate rollers.
  • Collaborate within a team-based environment to accomplish all aspects of fabrication.
  • Demonstrate the ability to complete technical requirements outlined in NAVSEA mil std 1688.
  • Obtain and maintain access to a controlled site with additional clearance requirements.

Requirements

  • Must be an upcoming or recent graduate of Tidewater Tech.
  • Ability to fabricate components based on NAVSEA drawing requirements with minimal direction.
  • Skilled in using hand tools and power tools safely and efficiently.
  • Ability to pass a hands-on welding practical test on SMAW, FCAW, and GMAW-P fillet welds.
  • Ability to pass an oxy-fuel torch test for setup, cutting, and beveling.
  • Understand and interpret basic welding symbols based on Military Standard 22-D.
  • Knowledge of Military Standards 1688 and 1689.
  • Ability to interpret and understand NAVSEA drawings and blueprints.
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Possess basic reading, writing, and mathematical skills.
  • Previous experience using overhead cranes.
  • Previous experience with shop equipment such as iron workers, break presses, and plate rollers.
  • Willingness to work weekends and a variety of shifts as needed.

Benefits

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

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in Jacksonville, FL

Pay in context

At roughly $32/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $30/hr median for welding jobs in Jacksonville, FL, whose middle half runs $28–$32/hr across 9 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 56% 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 Jacksonville, FL

We're tracking 21 other active welding openings in Jacksonville, FL right now, from 15 different employers. 3 of them were added in the last week. Across Florida as a whole we're tracking 232 other active welding openings from 139 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Jacksonville, or widen the search to Florida.

BAE Systems currently has 5 other openings live in Florida, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Florida at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Welding Shop in Miami, FL (17), Welding Shop in Tampa, FL (14), and Aerotek (9). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Florida, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Jacksonville at $30/hr, Orlando at $28/hr, and Tampa at $25/hr. Jacksonville is among them.

What you'll be running

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

Certifications this posting mentions

  • NAVSEA — the Naval Sea Systems Command welding standards used on US Navy shipbuilding and repair. Qualification is yard-specific and typically comes with a background check.

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 Jacksonville, FL

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Structural Fabricator- Submarine Program (Tidewater Tech) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.