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Job Description

Overview

The State Correctional Institution (SCI) Chester is seeking an energetic, enthusiastic, self-motivated person with the required experience to work as a Corrections Plant Mechanic. This role is essential for maintaining the facility's utility systems and offers the opportunity to apply technical skills in a stable, mission-driven workplace.

Responsibilities

  • Perform repairs and preventative tasks on boilers, compressors, and water systems.
  • Test multiple water systems and maintain accurate logs, inventories, and chemical supplies.
  • Carry out seasonal start-up and shut-down procedures for cooling towers and chilled water systems.
  • Check fluids, test batteries, and inspect fuel tanks for standby generators.
  • Oversee inmate workers, maintain safety procedures, and ensure proper tool and supply control.
  • Maintain clean and orderly plant spaces to support safe operations.

Requirements

  • One year of experience in performing skilled mechanical repair work involving heavy machines.
  • Graduation from high school or equivalent combination of experience and training.
  • Successful completion of basic training in Elizabethtown, PA is required.
  • Must pass a background investigation and meet Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliance requirements.

Additional Information

  • Full-time employment, 40 hours per week.
  • Work hours are 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 30-minute lunch.
  • No option for telework.
  • Starting annual salary of $49,010.00 before taxes.
  • Eligible for full retirement benefits at age 50 or 55.
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How this job compares in Delaware County, PA

Pay in context

At roughly $24/hr, this posting comes in about 21% below the $30/hr median for welding jobs across Pennsylvania, where the middle half runs $25–$35/hr across 133 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 23% 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 Delaware County, PA

This is the only active welding job we're currently tracking in Delaware County, PA, which makes it worth moving on quickly — there is no local competing offer to weigh it against. Across Pennsylvania as a whole we're tracking 277 other active welding openings from 179 employers. Browse welding jobs across Pennsylvania.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania currently has 2 other openings live in Pennsylvania, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Pennsylvania at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are TradeWorx (7), Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) (7), and Crash Champions (6). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Pennsylvania, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Philadelphia at $35/hr and York at $25/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Delaware County, PA

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