Back to Jobs

Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. As a Welder at Starbase, TX, you will work with an elite team to build, maintain, and upgrade systems that support Starship vehicle launch campaigns.

Responsibilities

  • Complete welding assignments for the construction, repair, and upgrade of structural stands and fluid systems.
  • Weld using FCAW, GMAW, SMAW, and GTAW processes on various materials.
  • Cut, trim, fit, and fabricate metal components for building structural forms.
  • Collaborate with the lead welder to assess weld procedures and materials.
  • Analyze engineering drawings to plan welding operations.
  • Utilize hand welding and flame-cutting equipment to assemble structural forms.
  • Visually inspect welds per AWS D1.1 and ASME B31.3 standards.
  • Obtain and maintain internal licenses and certifications.
  • Continuously improve operations and work processes.
  • Work in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
  • 2+ years of experience in SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, or FCAW.
  • 5+ years of experience in FCAW, SMAW, GTAW, or GMAW preferred.
  • Experience as a combo welder with the ability to fabricate and weld various materials.
  • 5+ years of professional experience in GTAW and FCAW welding.
  • Previous welding qualifications in accordance with governing codes.
  • Highly proficient in tube/pipe cutting and fabrication.
  • Knowledge of welding techniques and safety precautions.
  • Experience with overhead cranes and forklifts.
  • Ability to read and interpret blueprints and isometric drawings.

Additional Information

  • Anticipated hours are 5 PM – 5 AM.
  • Schedule varies based on operational needs; flexibility required.
  • Ability to travel up to 20% to different sites.
  • Physical requirements include standing, sitting, pushing/pulling, and climbing for up to 10 hours per day.
  • Candidates must be capable of working at heights and in confined spaces.

Benefits

Vision
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in US, US

Pay in context

At roughly $24/hr, this posting comes in about 19% below the $29/hr median for welding jobs in US, US, where the middle half runs $22–$33/hr across 33 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 30% 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 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 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.

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. Welder (Starship) - Night Shift figures were last recalculated when this page was built.