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Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is seeking an Industrial Welder to support the buildout of SpaceXSI's high-performance data centers. This hands-on role involves fitting and welding large industrial piping and structural steel to ASME Section IX, contributing to the construction of next-generation AI supercomputing infrastructure.

Responsibilities

  • Fit, tack, and weld large-bore industrial piping and structural steel per drawings and ASME Section IX welding procedure specifications.
  • Lay out, cut, bevel, grind, and align joints; check fit-up, root opening, and reinforcement before and after the weld.
  • Read isometric, spool, and structural drawings; work to weld maps, heat numbers, and rod-control requirements.
  • Support hanging of strut, supports, hangers, and structural members; assist with equipment set and bolt-up as needed.
  • Stage, move, and inventory pipe, fittings, structural members, filler metal, and tools; keep laydown yards and work areas orderly.
  • Open and close work areas: protection, fire watch and hot-work permits, debris removal, scrap segregation, and end-of-shift reset.
  • Follow LOTO, PPE, hot-work, and site rules; do not weld on live or unpurged systems without authorization.
  • Report damaged material, rejected welds, unsafe conditions, and drawing conflicts immediately.
  • Support punch-list, repair, and NDE hold-point work through system turnover.

Requirements

  • 3+ years of journey-level industrial construction welding experience involving large industrial piping and/or structural steel; OR completion of a recognized welding apprenticeship; OR equivalent military experience.
  • Hands-on experience with GTAW (TIG) on stainless steel and/or SMAW (stick) on carbon steel.
  • Qualified to ASME Section IX, or ability to pass a pre-employment weld test to ASME Section IX.
  • Willingness to work at heights, outdoors, and on a changing data center construction site.
  • Ability to use welding machines, torches, grinders, and related hand and power tools safely.
  • Strong safety mindset and willingness to follow site procedures, including hot-work permits and LOTO.
  • Prior experience on data center, industrial, or heavy-civil construction sites.
  • Experience welding large-bore process, mechanical, or utility piping and heavy structural members.
  • Current ASME Section IX qualification (e.g. 6G) in GTAW on stainless and/or SMAW on carbon.
  • Proficiency in both TIG-on-stainless and stick-on-carbon; FCAW a plus.
  • AWS D1.1 structural welding qualification or equivalent.
  • OSHA 10 or equivalent training.
  • Ability to read isometric, spool, and structural drawings.
  • High school diploma or equivalency certificate.

Additional Information

  • Ability to travel extensively to SpaceXSI data center construction sites and remain onsite during peak construction phases.
  • Capability to work in industrial environments, climb ladders, lift and position moderate loads, stand and walk for a full shift, and wear PPE for extended periods.
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How this job compares in Memphis, TN

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Tennessee currently run a median of $29/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $25–$31/hr across 20 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 Memphis, TN

Memphis, TN currently has 6 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 6 employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across Tennessee as a whole we're tracking 65 other active welding openings from 46 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Memphis, or widen the search to Tennessee.

The most active employers in Tennessee at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Mueller Water Products (5), Staffmark (3), and Welding Shop in Nashville, TN (3). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

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 combo welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Certifications this posting mentions

  • 6G — a pipe test welded on a joint fixed at a 45-degree incline. Because the torch has to travel through flat, vertical, and overhead angles in a single pass, passing 6G qualifies you for every position on pipe — which is why it is the ticket that separates pipe welders from plate welders on pay.
  • AWS D1.1 — the American Welding Society's Structural Welding Code for steel. It governs almost all building and structural steel work in the US, so a D1.1 qualification is the baseline credential for construction and ironworking.
  • 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 Memphis, TN

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