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Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars and is currently seeking a Pipe Welder for its Starship launch site. The position requires specialized welding skills to meet operational needs and complete welding assignments safely and professionally.

Responsibilities

  • Complete welding assignments and procedures for construction and repair of structural stands on time and safely.
  • Cut, trim, or scarf metal objects and fabricate metal components to dimensions for building test site structural forms.
  • Analyze engineering drawings and specifications to plan welding operations under supervision.
  • Utilize hand welding and flame-cutting equipment to assemble structural forms.
  • Visually inspect welds per AWS D1.1 and ASME B31.3 with proper training.
  • Obtain and maintain internal licenses, operator permits, or certifications as required.
  • Make continuous efforts to improve operations and streamline work processes.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
  • 1+ years of experience with TIG (GTAW) welding per ASME B31.3 applications.
  • 1+ years of experience in a process piping environment using various measurement and verification tools.

Additional Information

  • Work performed in an environment requiring exposure to fumes, odors, noise, and extreme outdoor environments.
  • Anticipated hours are day shift, 6 AM - 6 PM or night shift, 6 PM - 6 AM, with overtime and weekends as needed.
  • Physical requirements include standing up to 10 hours, lifting up to 50lbs unassisted, and working at heights up to 500ft.

Benefits

Vision
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How this job compares in US, US

Pay in context

At roughly $31/hr, this posting sits about 12% above the $28/hr median for welding jobs in US, US — toward the top of a $22–$33/hr middle band drawn from 33 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 64% 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 US, US

We're tracking 34 other active welding openings in US, US right now, from 26 different employers. 10 of them were added in the last week. Across US as a whole we're tracking 34 other active welding openings from 26 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in US.

SpaceX currently has 5 other openings live in US, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in US at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (5), AAON, Inc. (3), and Greenberry (2). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for TIG, Stick, and Flux-Core 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. 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.

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

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.
  • 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 US, US

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