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Job Description

Overview

As a Shipfitter at Steel America, a business unit of Colonna’s Shipyard, Inc., you will assist in the fabrication, assembly, and installation of structural components and systems aboard ships, within shipyard facilities, and in heavy industrial environments. This role involves working with steel and other metals to build and repair ship sections, following blueprints, and ensuring structural integrity under the guidance of senior shipfitters or supervisors.

Responsibilities

  • Assist in cutting and fabricating metal components using various tools and machinery.
  • Support in assembling and installing structural components such as bulkheads, frames, and decks.
  • Read and interpret basic blueprints, technical drawings, and work instructions.
  • Learn to fit and tack weld metal components before final welding.
  • Help with cutting metal using torches, saws, shears, and other cutting tools.
  • Learn to operate bending and shaping equipment to form metal components.
  • Assist welders by preparing materials, fitting components, and ensuring proper alignment.
  • Work effectively as part of a team, supporting senior technicians and coordinating with other trades.

Requirements

  • Must have at least 1 year of experience shipfitting in a marine or shipyard environment.
  • Must demonstrate basic knowledge of cutting, shaping, and assembling metal components.
  • Must be able to lift heavy materials, work at heights, and operate in confined spaces.
  • Previous technical training highly preferred.
  • Relevant certifications in shipfitting, welding, or related fields are preferred.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Position is located onsite in Norfolk, VA.
  • Will often require hours beyond a standard work week with flexible schedule availability.
  • Position may require limited travel.

Benefits

401k
PTO
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How this job compares in Norfolk, VA

Pay in context

At roughly $23/hr, this posting comes in about 23% below the $30/hr median for welding jobs in Norfolk, VA, where the middle half runs $27–$32/hr across 13 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 8% 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 Norfolk, VA

We're tracking 29 other active welding openings in Norfolk, VA right now, from 13 different employers. 2 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 Norfolk, or widen the search to Virginia.

Colonna's Shipyard 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. Norfolk is among them.

Similar openings near Norfolk, VA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. 3rd Class Shipfitter - Steel America (Job ID: 1461) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.