How to hire a combo welder

How to hire a combo welder, step by step

Here's a step-by-step combo welder hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a combo welder job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new combo welder
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a combo welder do?

Post a combo welder job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your combo welder job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a combo welder for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A combo welder's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, combo welders from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of combo welders.

   Type of Combo Welder	Description	Hourly rate
   Combo Welder	Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join or cut metal parts. They also fill holes, indentations, or seams of metal products.	$16-30
   Ship Fitter	Ship fitters are civilian or enlisted people who work on materials like high yield strength steel and high-tensile steel. These people fabricate, assemble, and build structural parts of ships... Show more	$14-30
   Pipefitter/Welder	A Pipefitter Welder installs, assembles, fabricates, maintains, and repairs mechanical piping systems. They may also supervise a team of helpers or assistants, and might also be responsible for training them.	$18-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GMAW
   • FCAW
   • Arc Welding
   • Engineering Drawings
   • Carbon Steel
   • MIG
   • Hand Tools
   • TIG
   • Gas Welding
   • Minor Maintenance
   • Safety Equipment
   • Lay-Out
   • Aluminum
   • GTAW

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Certify GTAW & GMAW welding on aluminum casting in a production shop.
   • Weld structure and pipe FCAW and TIG (carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum).
   • Perform full penetration welds with SMAW and flux core welding applications.
   • Have supervised a team of at least 6 skil TIG and MIG welders.
   • Start and complete x-ray welds correctly the first time using the GTAW and SMAW weld processes.
   • Certify SMAW & GTAW on boiler tube and heaters; blueprint reading and fitting on the boiler construction.

   More combo welder duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your combo welder job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A combo welder salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a combo welder in Alabama may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level combo welder usually earns less than a senior-level combo welder. Additionally, a combo welder with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average combo welder salary

   $46,985yearly

   $22.59 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level combo welder salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 14, 2026

   Average combo welder salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$55,583	$27
   2	Texas	$49,029	$24
   3	Virginia	$48,291	$23
   4	Oklahoma	$47,488	$23
   5	Tennessee	$46,803	$23
   6	Arizona	$46,572	$22
   7	Indiana	$44,839	$22
   8	Florida	$44,781	$22
   9	North Carolina	$44,204	$21
   10	Montana	$42,774	$21

   Average combo welder salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	SpaceX	$56,044	$26.94	22
   2	Zachry Group	$55,011	$26.45	9
   3	Turner Industries	$54,466	$26.19	8
   4	Zachry Construction	$54,437	$26.17	6
   5	APTIM	$53,601	$25.77	2
   6	McDermott International	$53,248	$25.60
   7	Tradesmen International	$50,620	$24.34	145
   8	Blue Origin	$49,228	$23.67	5
   9	Chart Industries	$47,401	$22.79	31
   10	Robinson Construction Co.	$46,934	$22.56	15
   11	Universal Plant Services	$46,655	$22.43
   12	Hutco	$46,466	$22.34	44
   13	Aegion	$46,275	$22.25
   14	ManpowerGroup	$46,240	$22.23	63
   15	TransTech Energy	$45,513	$21.88	7
   16	Randstad North America, Inc.	$45,373	$21.81
   17	EMCOR Group	$44,110	$21.21	51
   18	Aerotek	$42,468	$20.42	344
   19	Express Employment Indy South	$41,504	$19.95	12
   20	Trillium Staffing	$41,498	$19.95

4. Writing a combo welder job description

   A good combo welder job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a combo welder job description:

   Combo welder job description example

   Responsible for welding pipe for various piping systems from isometric drawings and blueprints in cooperation with a pipefitter.
   Responsibilities
   
   + Promote and comply with all Company and safety policies and procedures
   
   + Weld several types of pipe depending on work awarded
   
   + Assist pipefitter with lay out, positioning, aligning and fitting components
   
   + Bolt, clamp and tack-weld parts to secure in position for welding
   
   + Set up equipment and welds parts using arc, gas-shielded arc, submerged arc or gas welding equipment
   
   + Assemble parts by bolting and riveting
   
   + Repair products by dismantling, straightening, reshaping and reassembling parts using cutting torch, straightening press and hand tools
   
   + May be required to travel to different jobsites on limited notice
   
   + Maintain a professional appearance
   
   + Other duties as assigned by Foreman or Superintendent
   
   Qualifications
   
   Education and Work Experience Requirements:
   
   + High school diploma or general education degree (GED) or one to three months related experience and/or training or equivalent combination of education and experience
   
   Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
   
   + Take reasonable care of your own and others' health and safety and of those who may be affected by the day-to-day delivery of this role by taking personal responsibility for working toward Wanzek's Zero Injury principles
   
   + Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, blueprints and procedure manuals
   
   + Add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals
   
   + Compute rate, ratio and percent
   
   + Rate information using standards that can be measured or checked, work within precise limits or standards of accuracy, look at flat drawings, pictures and blueprints and visualize how they would look as solid objects with height, width and depth, see detail in objects or drawings and recognize slight differences in shapes or shadings
   
   Wanzek construction offers an extensive and competitive benefit package that includes, but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401 (k), and paid time off. Salary depends upon experience: $33 per hour.
   
   MasTec, Inc. is an equal employment opportunity employer. The Company's policy is not to unlawfully discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military status or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state, or local laws. The Company also prohibits harassment of applicants and employees based on any of these protected categories. It is also MasTec's policy to comply with all applicable state, federal and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.
   
   Job LocationsUS-CO-Pueblo
   
   Posted Date1 week ago(10/5/2022 11:33 AM)
   
   
   # of Openings 1
   
   Candidate Search Category Construction

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find combo welders for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any combo welders they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level combo welders with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your combo welder job on Zippia to find and recruit combo welder candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit combo welders, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new combo welder

   Once you've decided on a perfect combo welder candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new combo welder first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a combo welder?