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Job Description

Overview

As a Pipe Welder, you will be responsible for using the SMAW process to weld various components in flat, vertical, or overhead positions. This position requires the maintenance of personal tools and adherence to safety regulations.

Responsibilities

  • Observe and recognize problems during the welding process and adjust speed, voltage, amperage, or feed of the rod accordingly.
  • Read and interpret prints and plans.
  • Perform code compliant welds using the SMAW process.
  • Properly use fabrication shop hand tools such as grinders, drills, and air tools.
  • Operate forklifts and overhead cranes.
  • Operate vertical and horizontal band saws.
  • Rig, hoist, lift, and move materials.
  • Maintain a safe and clean work environment.
  • Adhere to all safety rules and regulations.

Requirements

  • Minimum of 4-5 years’ experience required.
  • Must be able to weld qualification test coupon for SMAW welding process in the 6G position on Carbon Steel Pipe.
  • Positive 'can do' attitude and strong work ethic.
  • Ability to take detailed instruction.
  • Willing to be challenged to improve welding skills to meet high quality standards.
  • Must be able to read and understand weld symbols, weld procedures, mechanical and structural drawings.
  • Knowledge of OSHA guidelines and safe work practices.
  • Must be able to use Oxy/fuel and Plasma hand cutting torch.
  • Flexible working schedule to support project needs.
  • Must be able to work 20-30 feet above ground.
  • Must be able to provide own general hand tools.

Additional Information

  • ASME pipe welding experience is considered a plus.
  • Fit-up and layout experience on structural/misc. steel and pipe spools is considered a plus.
  • Experience with machine equipment such as mill or drill press is considered a plus.
  • Familiarity with weld inspections, inspection documentation, and NDE (RT, UT, MT, PT) is considered a plus.
  • Formal or technical education is considered a plus.
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How this job compares in Butte, MT

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Montana currently run a median of $23/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $22–$33/hr across 13 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 Butte, MT

Butte, MT currently has 3 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 2 employers. None of them were added in the last week, so this is a slower-moving market. Across Montana as a whole we're tracking 20 other active welding openings from 14 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Butte, or widen the search to Montana.

Strobel Energy Group LLC currently has 1 other opening live in Montana, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Montana at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Loenbro (5), Continental Steel Works (2), and William M Kronmiller & Co., Inc. (2). 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 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.

See all pipe 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.
  • 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 Butte, MT

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