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Job Description

Overview

Applied Materials is the global leader in materials science and engineering solutions essential for advancing AI and semiconductor chip commercialization. The Machine Operator III role involves operating major shop tools and supporting in-house customers while ensuring safety and efficiency.

Responsibilities

  • Safely operate major shop tools including CNC Router, Laser, Water Jet, and Manual Mill.
  • Support in-house customers such as manufacturing and engineering with a customer service approach.
  • Utilize Work Orders, blueprints, and instructions to determine machining processes.
  • Perform a variety of machining and assembly tasks using standard machine shop equipment.
  • Plan and perform complex machine set-ups, applying knowledge of trigonometry.
  • Maximize material efficiency by nesting parts to reduce waste.
  • Maintain cleanliness of the work area and ensure proper handling of tools and equipment.

Requirements

  • High School Diploma/GED.
  • 7 - 10 years of experience in a related field.
  • Specialized skill level to perform assigned tasks.
  • Good understanding of team coordination and resource management.
  • Ability to exercise judgment to identify and solve problems.
  • Effective interpersonal skills for exchanging ideas and information.

Additional Information

  • Full-time position.
  • Location: Tempe, AZ.
  • No travel required.
  • No relocation eligible.
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How this job compares in Tempe, AZ

Pay in context

At roughly $24/hr, this posting comes in about 18% below the $29/hr median for welding jobs in Tempe, AZ, where the middle half runs $24–$52/hr across 11 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 27% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Tempe, AZ

We're tracking 27 other active welding openings in Tempe, AZ right now, from 21 different employers. 10 of them were added in the last week. Across Arizona as a whole we're tracking 458 other active welding openings from 222 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Tempe, or widen the search to Arizona.

Applied Materials currently has 1 other opening live in Arizona, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Arizona at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Sundt Construction (26), EZARC (21), and Welding Shop in Phoenix, AZ (17). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Arizona, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Goodyear at $39/hr, Phoenix at $32/hr, and Mesa at $31/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Tempe, AZ

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