Back to Jobs

Job Description

Overview

The Fitter Fabricator independently performs layout, fitting, and fabrication activities requiring advanced blueprint interpretation and equipment operation.

Responsibilities

  • Perform advanced layout and fit-up activities.
  • Perform MIG, FCAW, SMAW, GTAW, SAW.
  • Weld in all positions to AWS D1.1. D1.5 standards.
  • Perform advanced torch and plasma cutting operations.
  • Read and interpret complex fabrication drawings.
  • Independently operate hand saws, mag drills, and fabrication equipment.
  • Verify dimensions and tolerances.
  • Assist with training junior fabricators.

Requirements

  • Ability to complete inhouse training of AISC Layout & Fit-Up Training.
  • Proven fabrication experience.
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Benefits

Vision
Apply for This Position

How this job compares in Richmond, VA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Virginia currently run a median of $29/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $24–$34/hr across 71 postings with published pay. That median is a reasonable floor to anchor on when a recruiter asks what you're looking for.

The local market in Richmond, VA

We're tracking 12 other active welding openings in Richmond, VA right now, from 7 different employers. 3 of them were added in the last week. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 128 other active welding openings from 71 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Richmond, or widen the search to Virginia.

Kinsley Steel, Inc. currently has 1 other opening live in Virginia, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

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 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.

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

Certifications this posting mentions

  • AWS D1.1 — the American Welding Society's Structural Welding Code for steel. It governs almost all building and structural steel work in the US, so a D1.1 qualification is the baseline credential for construction and ironworking.
  • AWS D1.5 — the Bridge Welding Code, jointly published by AWS and AASHTO. It is stricter than D1.1 on fracture toughness and inspection, and is required on most state and federal bridge work.

Read straight from this posting's text. Confirm the exact qualification the employer wants before you test — requirements vary by shop even under the same code.

Similar openings near Richmond, VA

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