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Job Description

Overview

The Production Welder 1 performs structural steel welding operations in accordance with approved welding procedures, shop drawings, and quality requirements. This position is responsible for producing consistent, high-quality welds while maintaining safety, productivity, and housekeeping standards.

Responsibilities

  • Perform MIG, FCAW, SMAW welding on structural steel components.
  • Read and interpret basic fabrication drawings and weld symbols.
  • Follow approved Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS).
  • Complete fit-up verification prior to welding.
  • Perform basic equipment setup and maintenance.
  • Maintain production quality and throughput standards.
  • Follow all safety requirements and PPE guidelines.

Requirements

  • AWS D1.1 certification (1G, 2G, or 3G minimum).
  • Ability to successfully complete inhouse training of AISC Fundamentals Training (FD-01 through FD-15).
  • Ability to read tape measures and basic fabrication prints.
  • Ability to safely operate welding equipment and hand tools.
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How this job compares in Richmond, VA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Virginia currently run a median of $28/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $25–$33/hr across 89 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 Richmond, VA

We're tracking 11 other active welding openings in Richmond, VA right now, from 9 different employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 147 other active welding openings from 74 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Richmond, or widen the search to Virginia.

The most active employers in Virginia at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are General Dynamics NASSCO (12), Colonna's Shipyard (7), and Innovative Refrigeration Systems, Inc. (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. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

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.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • AWS D1.1 — the American Welding Society's Structural Welding Code for steel. It governs almost all building and structural steel work in the US, so a D1.1 qualification is the baseline credential for construction and ironworking.
  • 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.

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Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Welder 1 figures were last recalculated when this page was built.