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Job Description

Overview

General Dynamics NASSCO is seeking 5 Structural Welders J1-J4 for the day shift in Norfolk, Virginia. The company specializes in ship construction, repair, conversion, and maintenance for commercial and national defense assets.

Responsibilities

  • Weld using SMAW, GMAW, and FCAW welding processes.
  • Ensure the quality of welds is acceptable for N.D.T.
  • Weld various materials including steel, aluminum, copper nickel, and stainless steel.
  • Read weld gauges and use hand tools.
  • Follow standard item 1689 and guidelines of 5 S.

Requirements

  • High School Diploma/GED plus 2 years of directly related ship building/ship repair experience.
  • Knowledge of welding on different types of base metals (HY-80 & HY-100).
  • Proficiency in SMAW, GMAW, and FCAW welding processes.
  • Ability to hook up oxygen and acetylene torch.
  • Familiarity with weld symbols.

Additional Information

  • Day shift from 6 am to 2:45 pm with a 45-minute lunch.
  • Must be able to access all Navy installations and other shipyards by obtaining DBIDS and NAVSEA badges.
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How this job compares in Norfolk, VA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs in Norfolk, VA currently run a median of $32/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $29–$36/hr across 21 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 Norfolk, VA

We're tracking 37 other active welding openings in Norfolk, VA right now, from 17 different employers. 17 of them were added in the last week. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 141 other active welding openings from 75 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Norfolk, or widen the search to Virginia.

General Dynamics currently has 2 other openings live in Virginia, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Virginia at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are General Dynamics NASSCO (11), Mission Technologies, a division of HII (7), and Colonna's Shipyard (7). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Virginia, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Newport News at $34/hr, Norfolk at $32/hr, and Chesapeake at $28/hr. Norfolk is among them.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG, Stick, and Flux-Core 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. 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.

See all structural 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 Norfolk, VA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Structural Welder J1-J4 (DAY SHIFT) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.