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Experienced SAW Welder / Fitter – Heavy Steel Fabrication

Location

Houston, TX

Wage

$29 – $34/hr

Employment Type

Full-time

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Posted on September 30, 2026

Job Description

Overview

We are seeking experienced SAW Welders/Fitters for full-time opportunities at a heavy steel fabrication facility in Houston, Texas. Candidates must have Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) experience and a background in heavy steel fabrication, cylinder fitting, and industrial welding.

Responsibilities

  • Perform Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) on heavy steel components
  • Perform welding using SAW, FCAW, and SMAW processes
  • Fit, fabricate, and assemble rolled, formed, and welded cylinders
  • Work with heavy plate and cylinders ranging from approximately 3/8-inch to 8 inches thick
  • Perform back gouging operations as required
  • Safely operate overhead cranes and forklifts
  • Perform welding and fabrication work in accordance with applicable ASME Code requirements
  • Complete welding work requiring 100% Radiographic Testing (RT)
  • Follow Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS), fabrication drawings, work instructions, and quality requirements
  • Accurately use measuring tools, tapes, gauges, and other fabrication equipment
  • Inspect completed work to ensure quality and specification requirements are met
  • Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment
  • Follow all established safety and quality procedures

Requirements

  • Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) experience – REQUIRED
  • Minimum 5 years of welding and/or fitting experience
  • Experience with SAW, FCAW, and SMAW welding processes
  • Heavy steel fabrication experience
  • Knowledge of various grades of steel and fabrication methods
  • Ability to accurately read and use measuring tools, tapes, and gauges
  • Ability to follow Welding Procedure Specifications and written work instructions
  • Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing quality welds
  • Ability to work safely and effectively as part of a fabrication team
  • Availability to work Monday through Friday
  • Willingness to work overtime and weekends when required

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • 401k
  • 401k matching
  • Retirement plan
  • Health savings account
  • Flexible spending account
  • Life insurance
  • PTO
  • Parental leave
  • Employee assistance program

Additional Information

  • Full-Time
  • Monday through Friday
  • Day Shift Available - 4:30 AM - 12:30 PM
  • Night Shift Available - 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM
  • 8-hour shifts
  • Overtime and weekend work may be available or required based on production needs
  • Work Location: In Person – Houston, TX

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
401k matching
Retirement plan
Health savings account
Flexible spending account
Life insurance
PTO
Parental leave
Employee assistance program
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in Houston, TX

Pay in context

At roughly $32/hr, this posting sits about 26% above the $25/hr median for welding jobs in Houston, TX — toward the top of a $22–$33/hr middle band drawn from 86 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 65% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Houston, TX

We're tracking 360 other active welding openings in Houston, TX right now, from 204 different employers. 105 of them were added in the last week. Across Texas as a whole we're tracking 1,322 other active welding openings from 610 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.

The most active employers in Texas at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Austin Industries (32), Welding Shop in Austin, TX (27), and Zachry Group (21). 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 San Angelo at $39/hr, La Porte at $38/hr, and Pasadena at $38/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for Stick and Flux-Core 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. Flux-cored (FCAW) runs a hollow wire filled with flux, combining MIG-like deposition rates with the outdoor tolerance of stick. It is the workhorse on heavy structural steel and shipbuilding, where thick sections and long welds reward speed.

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

Certifications this posting mentions

  • ASME Section IX — the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code qualification. It covers welding on pressure-retaining equipment — boilers, vessels, and process piping — where a failed weld is a safety incident rather than a rework ticket.

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 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. Experienced SAW Welder / Fitter – Heavy Steel Fabrication figures were last recalculated when this page was built.