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Job Description

Overview

The A Class Structural Welder at Austal USA is responsible for welding various aluminum and steel configurations while ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and environmental standards. This role involves mentoring less-skilled welders and maintaining a productive work environment.

Responsibilities

  • Weld a variety of aluminum and steel configurations including single-pass and multi-pass fillets.
  • Instruct and mentor less-skilled welders as assigned.
  • Maintain safe work practices and adhere to safety policies.
  • Ensure compliance with Austal USA standards and project specifications.
  • Keep worksite clean and organized, minimizing waste.
  • Complete daily work assignments and document work completion.
  • Assist other welders, fitters, apprentices, and trades assistants.
  • Monitor working environment for compliance with regulations.
  • Comply with the Equal Opportunity and Anti-Harassment Policy.
  • Maintain and perform routine preventive maintenance on welding equipment.

Requirements

  • Minimum of 1 year as a B-Class Welder at Austal or 2 years of GMAW MIG aluminum welding.
  • Ability to pass A Class skills evaluation test.
  • High level of pride in workmanship.
  • Ability to weld in uncomfortable positions.
  • Demonstrated ability to weld fillets for material thicknesses 4mm-25mm.
  • Good mechanical aptitude and ability to produce consistent quality.
  • Ability to read and interpret construction drawings and specifications.
  • Good listening and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain required Security Clearance.

Additional Information

  • Must be flexible to work shifts or overtime as required.
  • Ability to tour all vessels and work sites.
  • Work environment may include exposure to humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, and extreme heat.
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How this job compares in San Diego, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $41/hr, this posting sits about 17% above the $35/hr median for welding jobs in San Diego, CA — toward the top of a $27–$37/hr middle band drawn from 18 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 89% 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 San Diego, CA

We're tracking 19 other active welding openings in San Diego, CA right now, from 15 different employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 594 other active welding openings from 271 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in San Diego, or widen the search to California.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (37), 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 MIG. 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.

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

Similar openings near San Diego, CA

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