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Job Description

Overview

We are looking for an experienced fabricator who excels at TIG welding aluminum to join our custom van build team. The ideal candidate will be self-sufficient, capable of turning concepts into finished products, and comfortable working with minimal direction.

Responsibilities

  • TIG weld aluminum to a high cosmetic and structural standard
  • Fabricate custom side steps, safari roof racks, brackets, storage systems, and other van accessories
  • Measure, cut, fit, bend, assemble, and finish parts independently
  • Develop fabrication solutions from concepts rather than detailed engineering drawings
  • Maintain quality, consistency, and fitment standards across all products
  • Collaborate with the team to refine designs and improve manufacturability
  • Troubleshoot fabrication challenges and develop practical solutions

Requirements

  • Strong TIG welding experience, especially with aluminum
  • Proven experience as a fabricator, not just a welder
  • Ability to build from concepts, sketches, photos, and verbal direction
  • Experience working with tubing, sheet metal, plate, and structural aluminum
  • Strong layout, measuring, fitting, and problem-solving skills
  • Proficiency with fabrication equipment including saws, grinders, benders, notchers, drill presses, and related shop tools
  • Ability to work independently and take ownership of projects from start to finish

Benefits

  • 401k

Additional Information

  • Full-time position

Benefits

401k
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How this job compares in Portland, OR

Pay in context

At roughly $34/hr, this posting sits about 17% above the $29/hr median for welding jobs in Portland, OR — toward the top of a $26–$33/hr middle band drawn from 18 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 83% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Portland, OR

We're tracking 28 other active welding openings in Portland, OR right now, from 14 different employers. 5 of them were added in the last week. Across Oregon as a whole we're tracking 73 other active welding openings from 43 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Portland, or widen the search to Oregon.

Welding Shop in Portland, OR currently has 14 other openings live in Oregon, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Oregon at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Welding Shop in Portland, OR (14), AAON, Inc. (4), and Sulzer (4). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Oregon, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Redmond at $29/hr and Portland at $29/hr. Portland is among them.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for TIG. 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 welder fabricator openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Similar openings near Portland, OR

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