Job Description

Overview

The MIG Welder / Fabricator position is a 1st Shift role focused on fabricating and welding a variety of sheet metal and structural steel products. The role requires proficiency in MIG welding processes and the ability to read blueprints and use various fabrication tools to produce high-quality parts.

Responsibilities

  • Operate MIG welding machines to weld sheet metal and structural steel components.
  • Regulate welding current, voltage, gas flow, and pressures for strong, consistent welds.
  • Select appropriate materials and metal gauge based on job specifications.
  • Work from engineering drawings, layouts, blueprints, and verbal instructions.
  • Read and interpret blueprints to determine dimensions and fabrication details.
  • Fit and assemble parts prior to welding to ensure proper alignment.
  • Use measuring tools to verify dimensions and tolerances.
  • Perform grinding operations to remove slag and sharp edges.
  • Use hand tools and power tools to complete and refine products.
  • Inspect finished parts for quality and accuracy.
  • Handle and move parts using forklifts or overhead cranes safely.
  • Maintain a clean and organized work area and follow safety procedures.
  • Collaborate with team members to meet production schedules.

Requirements

  • Proven experience operating MIG welding machines.
  • Ability to regulate welding current, voltage, gas flow, and pressures.
  • Demonstrated proficiency welding carbon steel and stainless steel.
  • Strong MIG welding skills, including set-up and basic troubleshooting.
  • Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and blueprints.
  • Competence using measuring tools to verify dimensions.
  • Experience with fitting and assembling components prior to welding.
  • Skill in grinding and finishing fabricated products.
  • Ability to use various hand tools and power tools safely.
  • Capability to operate a forklift or overhead crane.
  • Attention to detail for inspecting finished parts.
  • Ability to follow verbal instructions and work independently.

Benefits

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

Additional Information

  • This is a first-shift position with a typical schedule of 5:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Standard shifts are 8 hours, with the option to extend to 10 hours.
  • Potential to work up to 8 hours on Saturdays when required.
  • The facility is a well-lit building with significant character.
  • Temperatures may vary with the seasons.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
PTO

How this job compares in Loves Park, IL

Pay in context

At roughly $24/hr, this posting comes in about 22% below the $30/hr median for welding jobs across Illinois, where the middle half runs $26–$38/hr across 184 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 12% 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 Loves Park, IL

Loves Park, IL is a small market in our index: 1 other active welding opening alongside this one, from 1 employer. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 243 other active welding openings from 151 employers. With this few local postings, most welders here end up either commuting or looking at travel work. Browse welding jobs across Illinois.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Staff on Site (13), S&C Electric Company (10), and Gerber Collision & Glass (10). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Chicago at $38/hr, Elk Grove Village at $34/hr, and Skokie at $33/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG. 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.

See all MIG welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Similar openings near Loves Park, IL

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