Job Description

Overview

This Welder position focuses on production MIG welding within a clean, modern manufacturing facility in Pekin, IL. The role involves manual and fixture welding, interpreting blueprints, and ensuring high-quality metal components meet strict specifications.

Responsibilities

  • Read blueprints, work orders, and job instructions to understand project requirements and welding specifications.
  • Set up and operate MIG welding equipment safely and efficiently for production welding tasks.
  • Weld, fit, and assemble metal components to meet dimensional, structural, and quality requirements.
  • Work directly from drawings and weld symbols to complete projects accurately and on time.
  • Inspect finished parts and welds for quality, dimensional accuracy, and compliance with company standards.
  • Ensure materials and completed products meet established manufacturing and quality criteria.
  • Position, align, and secure parts using tables, fixtures, clamps, and other shop equipment.
  • Perform minor adjustments to improve fit, alignment, and overall weld quality as needed.
  • Use grinders, drills, saws, and other shop tools to support fabrication, preparation, and finishing work.
  • Complete finishing work such as grinding, cleanup, and touch-up welding to deliver a professional final product.
  • Follow all safety procedures and maintain a clean, organized work area in the manufacturing facility.
  • Collaborate with team members and supervisors to meet production goals and resolve fabrication or quality issues.

Requirements

  • Hands-on MIG welding experience, either in a manufacturing environment or through school or training programs.
  • Ability to read and interpret blueprints, weld symbols, and related technical documentation.
  • Comfort with basic math and measurements to ensure accurate cuts, fits, and welds.
  • Understanding of common weld defects and how to prevent, identify, and correct them.
  • Experience working with welding equipment, hand tools, and shop machinery in an industrial setting.
  • Ability to pass any required weld tests or qualifications for the role.
  • Self-motivated with the ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively as part of a team.
  • Willingness to work overtime when needed to support production demands.
  • Welding certification, formal training, trade school education, or equivalent hands-on experience is a plus.
  • High school diploma or GED is preferred.
  • Prior manufacturing or industrial experience, especially in MIG welding and blueprint reading, is beneficial.
  • Comfort using grinders, drills, saws, and other shop tools for fabrication and finishing tasks.
  • Ability to position and secure parts using fixtures, clamps, and other shop equipment.
  • Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality welds and finished parts.

Benefits

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

Additional Information

  • This is a Contract position based out of Pekin, IL.
  • All shifts available: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
  • This is a fully onsite position in Pekin, IL.
  • Application deadline is anticipated to close on Nov 7, 2026.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
PTO

How this job compares in Pekin, IL

Pay in context

At roughly $29/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $31/hr median for welding jobs across Illinois, whose middle half runs $26–$41/hr across 184 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 42% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.

The local market in Pekin, IL

This is the only active welding job we're currently tracking in Pekin, IL, which makes it worth moving on quickly — there is no local competing offer to weigh it against. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 242 other active welding openings from 146 employers. Browse welding jobs across Illinois.

Aerotek currently has 4 other openings live in Illinois, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Gerber Collision & Glass (12), S&C Electric Company (9), and Crash Champions (9). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Chicago at $38/hr, Elk Grove Village at $34/hr, and Bedford Park at $30/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.

Similar openings near Pekin, IL

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Hiring For Welder Pay Rate Upto $34 In East Peoria , IL figures were last recalculated when this page was built.