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Gerdau Steel - USA

Mill Reliability Mechanic – Hydraulics & Welding

Location

Petersburg, VA

Wage

$106,000 – $116,000/yr

Employment Type

Full-time

Required Skills & Certifications

TIG WeldingStick WeldingSteel
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Posted on November 2, 2026

Job Description

Overview

Gerdau is seeking a Mill Reliability Mechanic specializing in hydraulics and welding to perform complex mechanical work in a steel mill environment. The role involves diagnosing and repairing machinery to ensure optimal performance and reliability.

Responsibilities

  • Dismantle, repair, lubricate, reassemble, and perform general maintenance on mill assets.
  • Operate equipment to assess performance and determine repair vs. replacement.
  • Conduct preventive maintenance including inspections, cleaning, lubrication, and adjustments.
  • Install, tear down, replace, repair, and assemble equipment and components.
  • Identify and report faulty materials, environmental hazards, and improper machine operation.

Requirements

  • 3–5 years of experience maintaining heavy industrial machinery.
  • Hands-on knowledge of AC/DC motors, gearbox mechanics, lubrication, welding, and cutting torch.
  • Fluency with pumps, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, stick and TIG welding, and rigging principles.
  • Completion of Ramsey mechanical maintenance test.
  • Clear communication skills and ability to work as a team player.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • 401k
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • First year earnings range from $106,000 to $116,000 depending on experience.
  • Includes hourly pay, bi-weekly production bonus, shift premiums, and 354 hours of scheduled annual overtime.
  • Rotating shifts including days, nights, and two consecutive weekends per month on a Dupont 4/3 schedule.

Benefits

Health Insurance
401k
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
PTO
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How this job compares in Petersburg, VA

Pay in context

At roughly $53/hr, this posting sits about 72% above the $31/hr median for welding jobs across Virginia — toward the top of a $25–$41/hr middle band drawn from 94 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 95% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Petersburg, VA

This is the only active welding job we're currently tracking in Petersburg, VA, which makes it worth moving on quickly — there is no local competing offer to weigh it against. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 163 other active welding openings from 82 employers. Browse welding jobs across Virginia.

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. (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 Virginia, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Newport News at $40/hr, Norfolk at $30/hr, and Chesapeake at $27/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for TIG and Stick 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.

Similar openings near Petersburg, VA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Mill Reliability Mechanic – Hydraulics & Welding figures were last recalculated when this page was built.