Welder I
Location
Snyder, NE
Apply for This Position
Posted on November 5, 2026
Job Description
Overview
Smeal is a premier manufacturer of custom fire apparatus, committed to high-quality products and customer experience. The Welder I position involves performing various welding procedures and maintaining equipment in a manufacturing environment.
Responsibilities
- Perform GMAW (MIG) and GTAW (TIG) welding procedures including machine settings and necessary fittings.
- Weld aluminum and maintain welding machines.
- Inspect welds for cracks, burn-through, and weld spatter.
- Weld aluminum and stainless steel as required.
- Grind and clean areas as needed.
- Stay current in Total Productive Maintenance and perform basic mechanical adjustments.
- Follow hazardous waste disposal and fire prevention procedures.
Requirements
- Preferred 1-year experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Preferred high school diploma or GED.
- Ability to read and use a tape measure for precise measurements.
- Must read blueprints and engineering drawings and perform shop math.
- Knowledge and experience in GMAW (MIG) and GTAW (TIG) welding.
- Ability to communicate professionally and follow directions.
- Ability to work in a team environment.
- Successful completion of drug and background screening.
Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental
- Vision
- Education reimbursement
- Career development and advancement opportunities
Additional Information
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits start day one.
- Military-friendly employer.
- Opportunities to relocate to other Specialty Vehicle locations.
- All products are made in the USA.
Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Education reimbursement
Career development and advancement opportunities
How this job compares in Snyder, NE
Pay in context
This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across Nebraska currently run a median of $27/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $22–$33/hr across 22 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 Snyder, NE
We're tracking 12 other active welding openings in Snyder, NE right now, from 3 different employers. None of them were added in the last week, so this is a slower-moving market. Across Nebraska as a whole we're tracking 46 other active welding openings from 32 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Snyder, or widen the search to Nebraska.
Terex Corporation currently has 2 other openings live in Nebraska, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.
The most active employers in Nebraska at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Terex (9), Drake-Williams Steel (3), and Black Hills Energy (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 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.
Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Welder I figures were last recalculated when this page was built.