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Waukegan Steel

Structural Welder and Fitter

Location

Waukegan, IL

Employment Type

Full-time

Required Skills & Certifications

Stick WeldingSteelAluminumPIPE
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Posted on November 2, 2026

Job Description

Overview

Waukegan Steel, LLC is a leading structural/miscellaneous steel fabricator in the region, currently hiring a Structural Fabricator to expand its fabrication department. The role involves fitting, fabricating, and welding ornamental steel and aluminum efficiently and independently.

Responsibilities

  • Fit, fabricate, and weld ornamental steel and aluminum.
  • Layout structural steel members including WF’s, HSS, and Pipe.
  • Interpret architectural and structural details from construction drawings.
  • Ensure Crane Reports are filled out daily and submitted.
  • Follow the processes flowchart to ensure efficiency.
  • Encourage teamwork and assist teammates towards success.
  • Maintain a focus on safety and promote a safety-minded culture.
  • Ensure timely processing and delivery of materials to customers.
  • Operate an overhead crane and drive a forklift.

Requirements

  • 4-5 years of structural steel fabrication experience.
  • Proficient with numbers and blueprints.
  • Ability to lift and carry up to 75lbs for 25 feet unassisted.
  • Ability to lift and place above chest height up to 75lbs.
  • Dependable with demonstrated organization skills.
  • Ability to make quick decisions and handle multiple tasks.
  • Must be safety and OSHA compliant.
  • Pass a post-offer non D.O.T. physical and Musculoskeletal Assessment.
  • Pass a post-offer non D.O.T. drug screen.
  • Ability to read and interpret safety rules, operating instructions, and quality documents.
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How this job compares in Waukegan, IL

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Illinois currently run a median of $31/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $26–$43/hr across 198 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 Waukegan, IL

Waukegan, IL is a small market in our index: 1 other active welding opening alongside this one, from 1 employer. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 260 other active welding openings from 159 employers. With this few local postings, most welders here end up either commuting or looking at travel work. Browse welding jobs across Illinois.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Gerber Collision & Glass (16), S&C Electric Company (10), and The Boyd Group LLC (8). 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 Elk Grove Village at $40/hr, Chicago at $39/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 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 structural welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Similar openings near Waukegan, IL

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