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NSC Staffing

Pipe Welder - DBIDS Required

Location

Portsmouth, VA

Wage

$30 – $34/hr

Employment Type

Contract

Required Skills & Certifications

Stick WeldingSteelStainless SteelCopperPIPE
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Posted on October 21, 2026

Job Description

Overview

NSC Staffing is seeking experienced Pipe Welders for the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA. Candidates must have at least 4 years of welding experience in a shipyard or industrial environment and be willing to work extended hours, nights, and weekends.

Responsibilities

  • Perform SMAW and GTAW on carbon steel and stainless steel.
  • Perform advanced mirror welding using SMAW and GTAW.
  • Perform stud welding on carbon steel and stainless steel.
  • Perform GTAW socket and open-butt welds.
  • Perform GTAW on CuNi to copper and carbon steel.
  • Read weld symbols and follow applicable procedures/PCPs.
  • Identify and correct weld defects prior to inspection.
  • Grind and prepare materials for welding.
  • Set up, operate, troubleshoot, and maintain welding equipment.
  • Safely operate grinders, needle guns, burr motors, and other power tools.
  • Use weld gauges to verify weld quality.
  • Follow hot work/fire safety requirements, including the 35-foot rule and firewatch procedures.
  • Maintain a clean and safe work area and assist other trades as required.

Requirements

  • At least 4 years of welding experience in a shipyard or industrial environment.
  • DBIDS required.
  • Ability to complete a welding test in Chesapeake, VA.
  • Experience with SMAW and GTAW welding processes.
  • Ability to work extended hours, nights, and weekends as required.

Benefits

  • Competitive Pay
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • 401k

Additional Information

  • Day Shift: 6:45 AM – 7:30 PM, Must be available to work Saturdays as needed.
  • Night Shift: 6:45 PM – 7:30 AM, Must be available to work Saturdays as needed.
  • Work Location: In person.

Benefits

Competitive Pay
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in Portsmouth, VA

Pay in context

At roughly $32/hr, this posting sits about 10% above the $29/hr median for welding jobs across Virginia — toward the top of a $24–$34/hr middle band drawn from 70 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 67% 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 Portsmouth, VA

Portsmouth, VA currently has 3 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 3 employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 128 other active welding openings from 70 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Portsmouth, or widen the search to Virginia.

The most active employers in Virginia at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Innovative Refrigeration Systems, Inc. (14), General Dynamics NASSCO (10), and Atlantic Constructors, Inc. (7). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Virginia, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Newport News at $38/hr, Norfolk at $30/hr, and Chesapeake at $28/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for Stick. 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.

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

Similar openings near Portsmouth, VA

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