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ITAC

Shop Welder/Fabricator

Location

Chester, VA

Wage

$45,000 – $65,000/yr

Employment Type

Full-time

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Posted on September 28, 2026

Job Description

Overview

ITAC is a 100% employee-owned company that provides integrated engineering and construction services for complex capital projects, specializing in various industries including power generation, chemicals, and advanced manufacturing. The Shop Welder/Fabricator role involves assembling and fabricating mechanical parts using various tools and equipment.

Responsibilities

  • Read and interpret blueprints, diagrams, and engineering drawings to create equipment and products.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in GMAW and GTAW processes across aluminum, steel, and stainless steel.
  • Utilize fabrication machinery safely, including press brakes, shears, and CNC plasma systems.
  • Operate power tools safely, including magnetic drills and grinders.
  • Use precision instruments such as calipers and weld gauges.
  • Maintain weld machines using preventative maintenance methods.
  • Create specific weldment set-ups and fixturing to meet geometric requirements.
  • Perform quality checks to ensure products meet standards and rework parts as necessary.
  • Collaborate with teammates to balance workloads and meet production targets.
  • Exhibit professionalism through punctual attendance and constructive communication.

Requirements

  • At least 5 years of experience in fabrication.
  • Must possess reliable transportation for consistent attendance.
  • High School Diploma or GED required; vocational training preferred.
  • Must be able to pass a 4G plate test.
  • Strong interpersonal skills for effective teamwork.
  • Self-motivated with high attention to detail.
  • Ability to solve problems using critical thinking.
  • Basic reading skills and ability to follow complex directions.
  • Willingness to complete training for forklifts and other equipment.

Benefits

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

Additional Information

  • Shift: Monday through Thursday
  • Hours: 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM

Benefits

Health Insurance
Vision
Dental
401k
PTO
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in Chester, VA

Pay in context

At roughly $26/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $28/hr median for welding jobs across Virginia, whose middle half runs $25–$33/hr across 86 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 38% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.

The local market in Chester, VA

Chester, VA currently has 3 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 2 employers. None of them were added in the last week, so this is a slower-moving market. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 133 other active welding openings from 72 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Chester, or widen the search to Virginia.

ITAC currently has 1 other opening 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 (10), Colonna's Shipyard (7), and Mission Technologies, a division of HII (6). 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. 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.

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

Certifications this posting mentions

  • 3G / 4G — plate position tests — 3G is welded vertically, 4G overhead. Together they demonstrate you can hold a puddle against gravity, and they are the common entry qualifications for structural and production shops.

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 Chester, VA

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