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BART

Structures Welder SEIU (External Only)

Location

Oakland, CA

Wage

$43.57 – $56.96/hr

Employment Type

Full-time

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Posted on September 14, 2026

Job Description

Overview

BART is seeking skilled Structures Welders to maintain and strengthen the infrastructure of the Bay Area transit system. This position offers competitive pay, benefits, and the opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment while making a difference in the community.

Responsibilities

  • Perform precision arc, MIG, TIG, and gas welding on structural elements such as grating, doors, stairs, gates, and platforms.
  • Read diagrams and prints and discuss work to be performed with the supervisor or foreworker.
  • Determine necessary approach, tools, and equipment and load them on a vehicle for transportation to the work site.
  • Operate a high-rail vehicle to reach job locations.
  • Prepare surfaces to be welded by cutting, chipping, shaping, and sanding.
  • Use measuring devices to determine measurements.
  • Rough out and fabricate appropriate parts to effect repairs.
  • Adjust and use welding, brazing, and soldering equipment.
  • Grind, smooth, and finish welding surfaces.
  • Perform shop work as required to fabricate repair parts for field placement.
  • Perform specialized welding on vehicles, pressurized pipes, and other surfaces.
  • Set up rigging to move heavy objects in preparation for welding.
  • Use cranes, forklifts, and other equipment as required to complete work.
  • Complete records of work performed and materials used.
  • Report the need for additional maintenance to the foreworker.
  • Maintain a supply of welding gases, rods, tools, and safety equipment.

Requirements

  • Completion of an apprenticeship in welding and one year of experience in combination welding.
  • Heavy rail welding and repair experience are desirable.
  • Must possess and maintain a valid California Class A driver's license.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain District certification for the operation of high-rail vehicles.
  • Must be able to lift and carry equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.
  • Must be willing to work off hours shifts.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • This is a SEIU Local 1021 Bargaining unit position.
  • External candidates will start at Step 76.

Benefits

Health Insurance
PTO
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How this job compares in Oakland, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $50/hr, this posting sits about 44% above the $35/hr median for welding jobs across California — toward the top of a $28–$44/hr middle band drawn from 478 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 79% 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 Oakland, CA

Oakland, CA is a small market in our index: 2 other active welding openings alongside this one, from 2 employers. Across California as a whole we're tracking 623 other active welding openings from 287 employers. With this few local postings, most welders here end up either commuting or looking at travel work. Browse welding jobs across California.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (34), Vast (22), and Relativity Space (20). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Redondo Beach at $71/hr, Long Beach at $54/hr, and Torrance at $43/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG and TIG 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. 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.

Similar openings near Oakland, CA

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