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Job Description

Overview

The Welder - Stainless & Duplex Piping position at SCI involves specializing in stainless steel and duplex piping networks, responsible for fabricating, fitting, and welding high-pressure piping systems across industrial construction job sites. The role starts in Houston, TX and transitions to field work in Lebanon, Indiana.

Responsibilities

  • Execute high-quality X-ray standard welds on stainless steel and duplex piping systems.
  • Utilize GTAW (TIG) for root and hot passes, with occasional SMAW or FCAW for fill and cap passes.
  • Set up and monitor advanced inert gas backing purges and ensure O2 levels meet strict requirements.
  • Read and interpret isometric blueprints, structural drawings, and P&IDs.
  • Cut, bevel, align, and tack-weld pipe joints to perfect tolerances.
  • Monitor and manage interpass temperatures and heat input parameters specific to duplex steel.
  • Conduct thorough visual inspections of all beads, root penetration, and final profiles.
  • Learn and understand all safety hazards related to the work and use tools and equipment safely.
  • Adhere strictly to safety protocols and PPE requirements.
  • Travel as required.

Requirements

  • Minimum of 3-5 years of industrial construction experience focused on alloy pipe welding.
  • Current OSHA 30 certification required.
  • Complete fluency in reading welding symbols, blueprint dimensions, and following WPS documents.
  • Proven track record of handling alloy-specific challenges.
  • Deep expertise in GTAW processes, precise purging techniques, and metallurgy controls.
  • A current relevant quality certification preferred.
  • Comprehensive working knowledge of ACI, ASME, and API standards related to midstream oil and gas.
  • CWI, NACE, API, or equivalent industry certification preferred.

Additional Information

  • Position will start as a shop fabrication position in Houston, TX for 2 months and then transition to the field in Lebanon, Indiana.
  • The job will primarily be on or around construction/turnaround sites in petrochemical operational units.
  • Exposure to hazardous environments such as confined spaces and working at heights.
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How this job compares in Houston, TX

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs in Houston, TX currently run a median of $32/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $23–$41/hr across 93 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 Houston, TX

We're tracking 344 other active welding openings in Houston, TX right now, from 194 different employers. 138 of them were added in the last week. Across Texas as a whole we're tracking 1,245 other active welding openings from 548 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Houston, or widen the search to Texas.

The most active employers in Texas at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Austin Industries (39), Zachry Group (30), and Welding Shop in Houston, TX (22). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Texas, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Old Sixth Ward at $40/hr, Arlington at $39/hr, and Dallas at $36/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for TIG, Stick, and Flux-Core work. TIG (GTAW) uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode with filler added by hand, giving the operator the most control of any process. It is slow, demanding, and the standard for stainless, aluminum, and anything where the bead has to look as good as it holds. 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 exotic alloy welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • ASME Section IX — the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code qualification. It covers welding on pressure-retaining equipment — boilers, vessels, and process piping — where a failed weld is a safety incident rather than a rework ticket.
  • CWI — the AWS Certified Welding Inspector credential. It is an inspection qualification rather than a welding one, requiring documented experience plus a three-part exam, and it is the usual route off the torch into QC.

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 Houston, TX

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