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Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Shop Welder to join our team. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working in a fabrication shop environment and have strong skills in MIG welding. Responsibilities: Perform welding and fabrication of structural and industrial components Read and interpret blueprints, drawings, and weld symbols Set up and operate welding equipment safely and efficiently Perform fit-up, tack welding, and final welds Measure, cut, grind, and prepare materials for welding Inspect completed welds for quality and accuracy Maintain a clean and organized work area Follow all company safety procedures and OSHA requirements Qualifications: Previous shop welding or fabrication experience preferred Proficiency with MIG and/or stick welding Ability to read basic fabrication drawings and measurements Experience with carbon steel fabrication Ability to use grinders, cutting equipment, and other shop tools Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality Reliable transportation and dependable attendance Ability to work independently and as part of a team Preferred Skills: Structural welding experience Ability to pass a welding test Experience with flux-core welding Fabrication and fit-up experience OSHA 10 certification #ITS12

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How this job compares in Normal, IL

Pay in context

At roughly $24/hr, this posting comes in about 20% below the $30/hr median for welding jobs across Illinois, where the middle half runs $26–$41/hr across 199 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 12% 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 Normal, IL

This is the only active welding job we're currently tracking in Normal, IL, which makes it worth moving on quickly — there is no local competing offer to weigh it against. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 261 other active welding openings from 148 employers. Browse welding jobs across Illinois.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Gerber Collision & Glass (17), Staff on Site (13), and S&C Electric Company (9). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Chicago at $39/hr, Elk Grove Village at $34/hr, and Skokie at $33/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.

Similar openings near Normal, IL

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