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Job Description

Overview

The Rig Welder position in Houston, TX involves using various welding techniques to weld, repair, or join metal components. Candidates must own their welding rig and be prepared to work in various conditions, including travel and night shifts.

Responsibilities

  • Own gas or diesel welding rig including PPE and jack stands.
  • Weld components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions.
  • Weld pipes, tubes, fittings, and related equipment according to specifications.
  • Operate tools and equipment including angle grinders, beveling machines, cut-off grinders, hammers, torches, magnetic drills, welding machines, and a saw-zall.
  • Lay out, position, align, and secure parts and assemblies prior to assembly using straightedges, combination squares, calipers, and rulers.
  • Examine work pieces for defects and measure with straightedges or templates to ensure conformance with specifications.
  • Recognize, set up, and operate hand and power tools common to the welding trade.
  • Have knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and techniques for effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Understand machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • Lay out, fit, and weld fabricated, cast, and forged components to assemble structural forms.
  • Weld metal components together to fabricate or repair products.
  • Perform daily maintenance and safety checks.

Requirements

  • High School Diploma or GED required.
  • Must have 3 years’ experience as a welder.
  • Must pass a weld test (stick, tig, sub-arc, flux core, or mig).
  • Ability to communicate effectively, both verbal and written.
  • Adhere to strict safety standards and procedures.
  • Must be able to read and interpret blueprints and drawings.
  • Must have knowledge of materials, methods, and tools involved in construction.

Additional Information

  • Must be willing to travel and work away from home when required.
  • Must be willing to work nights and weekends when necessary.
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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 $27/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $22–$37/hr across 86 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 341 other active welding openings in Houston, TX right now, from 192 different employers. 94 of them were added in the last week. Across Texas as a whole we're tracking 1,256 other active welding openings from 597 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.

Bay Ltd. currently has 1 other opening 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 Austin Industries (29), Welding Shop in Austin, TX (27), and Zachry Group (23). 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 Midlothian at $38/hr, Irving at $38/hr, and Pasadena at $37/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG, TIG, 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. 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 oil and gas welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

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. Rig Welder – Houston, TX figures were last recalculated when this page was built.