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Job Description

Overview

Southwest Shipyard, LP provides various marine services, including gas freeing, cleaning, and repair, with a focus on quality, safety, and environmental excellence. The Pipe Welder will be responsible for fabricating, installing, and repairing piping systems on marine vessels, ensuring high-quality welds and adherence to safety standards.

Responsibilities

  • Prepare, assemble, and install piping systems on ships according to detailed specifications.
  • Perform various welding techniques (e.g., SMAW, FCAW) to join and repair pipes with precision.
  • Inspect welds to identify and correct defects, ensuring compliance with industry standards and codes.
  • Adhere to all safety protocols, including the use of PPE, and participate in regular safety briefings.
  • Interpret blueprints and technical documents to plan and execute welding and assembly tasks accurately.

Requirements

  • Proficiency in English required; bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
  • Proficiency in multiple welding techniques (SMAW, FCAW).
  • Ability to work in challenging conditions, such as confined spaces and elevated platforms.
  • Strong knowledge of pipefitting and layout skills.
  • Familiarity with industry safety standards (OSHA, ASME, etc.).
  • Ability to read and interpret blueprints, schematics, and work orders.
  • Must have or be able to obtain a TWIC card.

Benefits

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

Additional Information

  • Regular attendance and punctuality are required.
  • Day Shift: 6:00am - 3:30pm.
  • Overtime and/or weekend availability required.
  • Location: 8502 Cypress St, Houston Tx 77012.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
401k
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How this job compares in Houston, TX

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs in Houston, TX currently run a median of $26/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $22–$34/hr across 88 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 Houston, TX

We're tracking 351 other active welding openings in Houston, TX right now, from 197 different employers. 116 of them were added in the last week. Across Texas as a whole we're tracking 1,395 other active welding openings from 683 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Houston, or widen the search to Texas.

Southwest Shipyard, LP currently has 5 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 Austin, TX (26), Zachry Group (25), and Austin Industries (25). 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 Burleson at $40/hr, La Porte at $38/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 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 pipe welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • ASME Section IX — the 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 Houston, TX

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