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Job Description

Overview

Total-Western, Inc. is a premier provider of industrial construction and maintenance services founded in 1972, specializing in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) across various industries. The Certified Pipe Rig Welder will perform advanced welding tasks on systems and pipelines while mentoring junior staff.

Responsibilities

  • Perform advanced welding and repair tasks on systems and pipelines, ensuring all welds are secure, safe, and meet project specifications.
  • Lead and mentor junior welders, providing guidance and oversight to ensure that work is completed to the highest standards.
  • Interpret detailed welding blueprints and project specifications, ensuring precise execution of welding tasks.
  • Inspect welds for quality, adjusting as necessary to ensure compliance with industry standards.
  • Ensure welding equipment is well-maintained and prepared for use at all times.
  • Ensure all team members follow strict safety protocols and use appropriate PPE to maintain a safe work environment.

Requirements

  • Certified Pipe Welder - Rig (AWS, ASME, or equivalent).
  • At least 5 years of experience in welding, with a strong emphasis on rig environments and pipeline systems.
  • Advanced proficiency in TIG, MIG, Stick, and other welding techniques.
  • Ability to interpret detailed blueprints and technical specifications.
  • Leadership experience and the ability to train and mentor others.
  • Strong commitment to safety and high-quality standards.

Benefits

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

Additional Information

  • This position requires working in industrial environments, including oil rigs, where exposure to confined spaces, high temperatures, heights and high noise levels may be present.
  • Travel to various job sites is required.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
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How this job compares in Paramount, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $41/hr, this posting sits about 17% above the $35/hr median for welding jobs across California — toward the top of a $29–$45/hr middle band drawn from 365 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 68% 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 Paramount, CA

Paramount, CA is a small market in our index: 2 other active welding openings alongside this one, from 2 employers. Across California as a whole we're tracking 486 other active welding openings from 233 employers. With this few local postings, most welders here end up either commuting or looking at travel work. Browse welding jobs across California.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (35), Welding Shop in Los Angeles, CA (17), and Relativity Space (14). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Long Beach at $49/hr, El Segundo at $48/hr, and Los Angeles at $44/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG and TIG work. 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. 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.

See all oil and gas 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.

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 Paramount, CA

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