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Job Description

Overview

Karman Space & Defense is a leader in the rapid design, development, and production of critical, next-generation system solutions that align with the U.S. Department of War and its allies’ core mission priorities. As a Welder Fitter, you will perform welding and fitting work to ensure Karman products meet customer specifications and quality requirements.

Responsibilities

  • Performs welding and fitting of products and assemblies to meet customer specifications and quality requirements.
  • Interprets weld procedures, specifications, and engineering blueprints to complete assigned work.
  • Prepares and sets up welding equipment and materials for current assignments.
  • Fits simple and complex assemblies and develops shop aids and weld fixtures to support production.
  • Follows Quality Management System procedures that support product conformity and safety.
  • Coordinates the use of time, equipment, and resources with the Weld Shop Supervisor.
  • Provides fitting and welding training or methods guidance as directed by the Weld Shop Supervisor.
  • Maintains a clean, organized workspace and alerts the Weld Shop Supervisor to equipment repair needs.
  • Recommends improvements affecting weld quality, production methods, or schedules to the Weld Shop Supervisor.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalent.
  • Minimum of 2 years of welding experience using Metal Inert Gas (MIG), Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), and Flux Core processes.
  • Experience welding aluminum.
  • Thorough understanding of welding procedures, specifications, equipment preparation, and setup practices.
  • Ability to interpret engineering blueprints and fit simple and complex assemblies.
  • Ability to use hand inspection tools.
  • Knowledge of Quality Management System reporting, recordkeeping, and work instruction requirements.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with internal customers and follow updated customer requirements.
  • Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

Benefits

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

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
PTO
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How this job compares in South El Monte, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $31/hr, this posting comes in about 15% below the $36/hr median for welding jobs across California, where the middle half runs $30–$48/hr across 373 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 29% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in South El Monte, CA

This is the only active welding job we're currently tracking in South El Monte, CA, which makes it worth moving on quickly — there is no local competing offer to weigh it against. Across California as a whole we're tracking 505 other active welding openings from 240 employers. Browse welding jobs across California.

Karman Space & Defense currently has 1 other opening live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (37), Relativity Space (18), and Welding Shop in Los Angeles, CA (13). 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 El Segundo at $53/hr, Los Angeles at $51/hr, and Pasadena at $50/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for MIG, TIG, and Flux-Core 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.

Similar openings near South El Monte, CA

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