How to hire a welder

How to hire a welder, step by step

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

What does a welder do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the welder you need to hire. Certain welder roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A welder's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, 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 presents welder salaries for various positions.

   Type of Welder	Description	Hourly rate
   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.	$13-25
   Fabricator	A fabricator specializes in manufacturing and assembling equipment or devices, ensuring every product's quality and efficiency. There are instances when a fabricator is required to make multiple gears, conduct verification processes on product schematics and specifications, perform quality control inspections, and test the product in different environments... Show more	$12-21
   Saw Operator	Saw operators are responsible for setting up and operating power saws to slot, cut, and trim metallic and non-metallic materials. They are the ones who choose and install blades on machinery using hand-tools and verify dimensions of finished material using measuring devices... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Arc Welding
   • Aluminum
   • Hand Tools
   • Tig Welding
   • Stainless Steel
   • GMAW
   • Tape Measure
   • Safety Equipment
   • SMAW
   • Jigs
   • Plasma Arc
   • FCAW
   • Mig
   • Tig

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and run production parts through the brake.
   • Weld with oxyacetylene, MIG, and brazing all kind of materials like bronze, platinum, aluminum, and flux.
   • Experience TIG, plasma cutting, brazing, torch cutting, shears press, bending and manipulating heated metal.
   • Fabricate and weld car carrier trailers using MIG welding method, used overhead cranes to lift weld pieces up.
   • Fabricate and weld the steel reinforcement and forms according to print on a vibratory bed using MIG and GMAW welding.
   • Experience welding pipe ranging from 2"up to 72"pressure vessels using the GMAW and FCAW welding process.

   More welder duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your welder job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A 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 welder in Montana may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level welder usually earns less than a senior-level welder. Additionally, a 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 welder salary

   $39,696yearly

   $19.08 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level welder salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

   Average welder salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$52,906	$25
   2	Maine	$48,366	$23
   3	California	$46,017	$22
   4	New York	$45,922	$22
   5	Oregon	$44,247	$21
   6	New Mexico	$42,754	$21
   7	Pennsylvania	$42,402	$20
   8	Arizona	$42,232	$20
   9	Wisconsin	$41,743	$20
   10	Virginia	$41,374	$20
   11	Colorado	$40,939	$20
   12	Minnesota	$39,998	$19
   13	Ohio	$38,601	$19
   14	Texas	$38,207	$18
   15	Indiana	$37,983	$18
   16	Utah	$37,810	$18
   17	Oklahoma	$37,501	$18
   18	North Carolina	$37,050	$18
   19	Missouri	$36,708	$18
   20	Tennessee	$36,591	$18

   Average welder salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	California Resources	$92,635	$44.54
   2	Nabors Industries	$83,306	$40.05
   3	Hess	$77,143	$37.09	2
   4	Datamatics	$76,908	$36.98
   5	Westinghouse Appliances Australia	$76,764	$36.91	1
   6	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$70,641	$33.96
   7	BWX Technologies	$70,380	$33.84	14
   8	Apache	$67,785	$32.59	6
   9	Forum Energy Technologies	$66,559	$32.00	9
   10	ABB	$66,203	$31.83
   11	Plug Power	$65,668	$31.57
   12	Halliburton	$64,789	$31.15	2
   13	Applied Materials	$63,570	$30.56
   14	Exterran Corporation HQ	$63,519	$30.54
   15	City of Los Angeles	$63,490	$30.52	1
   16	Baker Hughes	$63,185	$30.38	2
   17	Smiths Group	$62,689	$30.14
   18	Ranger Energy Services	$60,788	$29.23
   19	MDU Resources	$60,785	$29.22	1
   20	Fluor Corporation	$60,481	$29.08	30

4. Writing a welder job description

   A 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a welder job description:

   Welder job description example

   The Welder positions qualify for a HIRING BONUS package that includes a one-time $3,600 housing subsidy in addition to a $1,400 sign-on bonus.

   Key Responsibilities

   Proficient welder with the capability of operating TIG, MIG, and Oxy Acetylene welding equipment and common shop tools such as grinders, sanders and hydraulic straightening equipment. Must be able to train Welder I.

   Proficient at reading and understanding engineering drawings.

   Advanced capability for using measuring equipment (tape measure, framing square, straight edge, calipers, laser level).

   Advanced capability for using shop measuring equipment, engineering drawings and cutting equipment to cut stock (tubing, angle iron, channel iron, flat bar, etc.) for welded miscellaneous assemblies and frame assemblies.

   Proficient capability for fabricating simple miscellaneous welded assemblies and simple frame assemblies.

   Maintains cleanliness of the work area and ensures proper handling of tools, equipment, and stock to prevent loss. Conforms to departmental safety requirements.

   Functional Knowledge

   • Has developed analytical skills and application of scientific methods to perform a variety of activities

   Business Expertise

   • Has good understanding of how the team integrates with others

   Leadership

   • Has no supervisory responsibilities

   Problem Solving

   • Recognizes and solves typical problems that can occur in own work area without supervisory approval; evaluates and selects solutions from established operating procedures and/or scientific methods

   Impact

   • Impacts the quality of own work

   Interpersonal Skills

   • Uses communication skills to exchange of information

   QualificationsEducation:High School Diploma/GEDSkillsCertifications:Languages:Years of Experience:2 - 4 YearsWork Experience:Additional InformationTravel:Yes, 10% of the TimeRelocation Eligible:Yes

   Applied Materials is committed to diversity in its workforce including Equal Employment Opportunity for Minorities, Females, Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right welder for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with welders they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit welders who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your welder job on Zippia to find and recruit 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 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 welder

   Once you have selected a candidate for the welder position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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 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.)

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