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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 for the U.S. Department of War and its allies. The Fabrication Technician role involves building high-quality metal components and structures to support manufacturing and production operations.

Responsibilities

  • Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, and welding symbols to determine fabrication requirements.
  • Measure, cut, and assemble metal components using fabrication equipment and tools.
  • Perform Metal Inert Gas (MIG) and/or Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding on various materials.
  • Fabricate metal parts, structures, and assemblies according to design specifications.
  • Operate fabrication equipment, including shears, press brakes, and overhead cranes.
  • Inspect welded surfaces and completed structures for defects and quality issues.
  • Collaborate with team members to meet production schedules and quality standards.
  • Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment while following safety procedures.

Requirements

  • Minimum of 5 years of experience as a welder or fabricator.
  • Proficiency in MIG and/or TIG welding techniques.
  • Ability to read and interpret fabrication drawings, blueprints, and welding symbols.
  • Knowledge of fabrication materials, including mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, and Inconel.
  • Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality workmanship.
  • Familiarity with safety procedures and regulations in a fabrication environment.

Benefits

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

Additional Information

  • No travel required.
  • This position requires U.S. person status under U.S. export control laws.

Benefits

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

Pay in context

At roughly $28/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $30/hr median for welder fabricator jobs across California, whose middle half runs $24–$42/hr across 51 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 35% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.

The local market in Brea, CA

Brea, CA currently has 6 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 4 employers. None of them were added in the last week, so this is a slower-moving market. Across California as a whole we're tracking 505 other active welding openings from 240 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Brea, or widen the search to 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 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 welder fabricator openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Similar openings near Brea, CA

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