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Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. The Orbital Tube Welder for Manifolds will be responsible for operating the welding system and ensuring the quality of weld assemblies.

Responsibilities

  • Follow established procedures to set up and operate the Composite Overwrap Pressure Vessel (COPV) Manifolds orbital welding system
  • Work from blueprints and approved drawings
  • Cut and prepare all tubing and fittings used in the welding operation
  • Perform setup of the welding system
  • Perform pressure testing operations of weld assemblies per specifications
  • Inspect all completed assemblies using the borescope inspection system
  • Maintain an organized toolbox for welding system operations
  • Maintain a clean work area
  • Safely perform COPV bottle lifting operations using an overhead crane
  • Able to work in a strong team-oriented environment

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalency certificate
  • 1+ year of welding, machining or manufacturing experience OR certificate from an accredited trade skills program in A&P, manufacturing, welding, and/or electronics
  • Certification from a formal orbital weld training program (preferred)
  • 3+ years of orbital welding experience (preferred)
  • TIG welding and clean room experience (preferred)
  • Experience working in an aerospace manufacturing environment (preferred)

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Must be able to work all shifts, overtime, and/or weekends and potential holidays as needed
  • Must be able to work any of the following shifts: Monday to Friday: 4:30 AM - 3:00 PM or Monday to Friday: 1:00 PM – 11:30 AM
  • Able to lift up to 25 lbs. unassisted
  • Able to stand for extended periods: 8-10 hours min
  • Able to stoop, bend, crawl, and being able to maneuver in tight spaces

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
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How this job compares in Hawthorne, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $31/hr, this posting comes in about 18% below the $37/hr median for welding jobs in Hawthorne, CA, where the middle half runs $31–$58/hr across 38 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 5% 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 Hawthorne, CA

We're tracking 38 other active welding openings in Hawthorne, CA right now, from 3 different employers. 18 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 594 other active welding openings from 272 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Hawthorne, or widen the search to California.

SpaceX currently has 36 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (36), Welding Shop in Los Angeles, CA (17), and Honeywell Aerospace (16). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Pasadena at $51/hr, Santa Ana at $48/hr, and El Segundo at $48/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for TIG. 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.

Similar openings near Hawthorne, CA

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