How to hire a tank welder

How to hire a tank welder, step by step

Here's a step-by-step tank 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 tank welder job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new tank welder
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a tank welder, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

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   Hiring the perfect tank welder also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents tank welder salaries for various positions.

   Type of Tank Welder	Description	Hourly rate
   Tank 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.	$12-24
   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
   Millwright/Welder	A Millwright/Welder installs, dismantles, repairs, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites. They cut and join metals and other materials.	$13-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Tig Welding
   • Carbon Steel
   • Ground Storage Tanks
   • Cranes
   • Arc Welding
   • Stainless Steel
   • AWS
   • TIG
   • Pressure Vessels
   • FCAW
   • GMAW
   • Gas Welding
   • Grinders
   • SMAW

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and run production parts through the brake.
   • Fit and weld storage tanks, stacks using see, fcaw, & Gmaw processes
   • Weld tanks using GMAW process ensuring no leaks in weldments.
   • Rig and install boiler sections and associate pumps and equipment.
   • Maintain PPE, proper safety policy, and procedures and keep.
   • Rig material to be hoist by crane and set into place.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your tank welder job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A tank welder can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, tank welders' average salary in georgia is 45% less than in wyoming.
   • Seniority. Entry-level tank welders 50% less than senior-level tank welders.
   • Certifications. A tank welder with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a tank welder's salary.

   Average tank welder salary

   $35,819yearly

   $17.22 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level tank welder salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

4. Writing a tank welder job description

   A tank welder job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a tank welder job description:

   Tank welder job description example

   Tank Welder - ( 2206115 )
   
   **Job Overview:**
   
   Lays out, aligns and welds fabricated, cast and forged components to assemble structural forms such as machinery frames, tanks, pressure vessels, furnace shells, buildings and pipe, according to blueprints and metallurgy.
   
   **Key Responsibilities/Accountabilities:**
   
   + Selects type and size of pipe or other related materials and equipment according to specifications
   
   + Selects equipment and plans layouts, assembly, and welding, applying knowledge of geometry, physical properties of metal machining, weld shrinkage and welding techniques
   
   + May be required to use Gas-Metal Arc, Flux-Cored Arc, Gas-Tungsten Arc, Submerged Arc, or Shielded Metal Arc welding processes
   
   + Lays out, positions, aligns and fits components together in various body positions
   
   + Bolts, clamps and welds together metal components of products such as piping systems, plate, pipe and tube or structural shapes, using arc and arc gas welding equipment. May weld in flat, horizontal, vertical, or overhead position. May tack weld assemblies together
   
   + Connects cable from welding unit to obtain amperage, voltage, slope and pulse as specified by procedure or supervisor
   
   + Obtains specified electrode and inserts electrode into portable holder or threads consumable electrode wire through portable welding gun
   
   + Starts power supply to produce electric current
   
   + Strikes arc which generates heat to melt and deposit metal from electrode to work piece and join edges of work piece
   
   + Manually guides electrode or gun along weld-line, maintaining length of arc and speed and movement to form specified depth of fusion and bead, as judged from color of metal, sound of weld, and size of molten puddle
   
   + May manually apply filler rod to supply weld metal. May clean or degrease weld joint or workplace, using wire brush, portable grinder, or chemical bath. May repair broken or cracked parts and fill holes. May remove excess weld, defective weld material, slag and spatter, using carbon arc gouge, hand scrapper, grinder or power chipper. May preheat work piece, using hand torch or heating furnace. May cut metal plates or structural shape
   
   + Examines weld for bead size and other specifications
   
   + Loads, transports and unloads material, tools, equipment and supplies
   
   + May assist in lifting, positioning and securing of materials and work pieces during installation
   
   + Performs minor maintenance or cleaning activities of tools and equipment
   
   + Assists other mechanics as needed
   
   + Respiratory protection is common and may be required
   
   + Required to pass employer performance tests or standard tests to meet certification standards. Performs only procedures certified in
   
   + Responsible for observing and complying with all safety and project rules. Performs other duties as required
   
   + Work within precise limits or standards of accuracy
   
   + Make decisions based on measurable criteria
   
   + Apply basic mathematics to solve problems
   
   + Plan work and select proper tools
   
   + Visualize objects in three dimensions from plans and drawings
   
   + Compare and see differences in the size, shape and form of lines, figures and objects
   
   **Basic Qualifications:**
   
   + High School Diploma or equivalent.
   
   + Previous years of experience in the field or in a related area.
   
   **Physical Requirements:**
   
   NP=Not Present, O=Occasionally (0-33%), F=Frequently (34-66%), C=Constantly (67-100%)
   
   Standing
   
   70%
   
   Walking
   
   50%
   
   Sitting
   
   10%
   
   Pushing
   
   NP
   
   Pulling
   
   NP
   
   Climbing
   
   F
   
   Balancing
   
   F
   
   Bending
   
   F
   
   Stooping
   
   O
   
   Kneeling
   
   O
   
   Crouching
   
   O
   
   Crawling
   
   NP
   
   Reaching
   
   C
   
   Handling
   
   C
   
   Feeling
   
   C
   
   Vision
   
   C
   
   Hearing
   
   C
   
   Lifting (lbs)
   
   Carrying (lbs)
   
   0-10
   
   0-10
   
   10-25
   
   10-25
   
   25-50
   
   25-50
   
   **Company Overview:**
   
   McDermott is a premier, fully-integrated provider of technology, engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry. For more than a century, customers have trusted McDermott to design and build end-to-end infrastructure and technology solutions-from the wellhead to the storage tank-to transport and transform oil and gas into the products the world needs today.
   
   **Primary Location** : USA-Louisiana-Port Sulphur
   
   **Job** : Welder
   
   **Employee Status** : Direct / Regular
   
   **Schedule** : Full-time
   
   **Job Posting** : Oct 13, 2022, 12:21:16 PM
   
   
   McDermott is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right tank welder for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit tank welders, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 tank welder

   Once you've decided on a perfect tank 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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.)

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