Welder job description template: process, position, material, code and the weld test
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"Welder needed, MIG and TIG, must pass weld test" covers a production line tacking brackets, a structural shop welding beams, and a pipe crew on a refinery shutdown. Those are different welders. The details that decide fit are the process, the positions, the material and thickness, the code you weld to and what the weld test is. A good welder job description puts those in the first lines and is honest about the shop or site conditions. Below is how to settle those choices, a copy-ready template, the certification and safety lines with sources, screening and scorecard rows, and common mistakes. For the phone screen itself, use welder screening questions.
Five lines that define the welding job
| Job type | Process and positions | Material and code | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production welding | GMAW (MIG) or robotic cells, mostly flat and horizontal | Carbon steel, sheet to light plate; customer or internal standards | Speed and consistency on repeat parts; reading a weld symbol and a part print |
| Fabrication shop | GMAW, FCAW, some GTAW (TIG); all positions on larger assemblies | Carbon and stainless, plate and tube; often AWS D1.1 or customer specs | Fits up from prints with minimal supervision |
| Structural (shop or field) | FCAW and SMAW (stick), vertical and overhead | Structural steel; AWS D1.1 | Has passed a vertical or overhead plate test; field work at height if applicable |
| Pipe | GTAW root, SMAW or FCAW fill and cap; 6G position | Carbon, chrome or stainless pipe; ASME Section IX or API 1104 | Has passed a 6G pipe test on the material you use |
| Maintenance welder | Mixed processes, out-of-position repairs | Whatever breaks: equipment, frames, guards | Diagnoses the repair, not only the weld; works around running equipment |
Settle these with the shop lead or welding supervisor before writing: which process and position the test uses, the thickest and thinnest material, whether welders fit up their own work from prints, and whether the job is in a shop, a plant or on sites that move. The code names above are common examples; use the one your work is actually built to, and leave it out if you do not weld to a code. If welding is one duty among many on a plant maintenance crew, the role is closer to a maintenance technician; see maintenance technician screening questions.
Certification, qualification and the weld test
Not legal advice. AWS, OSHA and BLS points were checked against the pages linked here as of October 2026. Customer contracts and codes may set their own welder qualification rules.
The AWS Certified Welder program is performance-based with no written exam and no prerequisite courses: the welder welds to a qualified welding procedure specification at an AWS Accredited Test Facility, and an AWS Certified Welding Inspector checks the result. AWS says the credential is not tied to an employer and must be maintained with documentation every six months confirming the welder still performs the process. So an AWS card tells you someone passed a specific test and has kept welding that process; it does not tell you they can pass yours.
Many welders are qualified by employers instead, tested to the employer's own procedure, with the record kept by that employer. BLS notes that some employers require general or specific certification for particular jobs and may pay the cost of training and testing (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified August 27, 2026). The practical posting line: ask for experience with the process, position and material, accept AWS certification as a plus, and describe your own test.
Safety standards. OSHA's welding, cutting and brazing rules sit in 29 CFR 1910 Subpart Q (1910.251 to 1910.255) for general industry and 29 CFR 1926 Subpart J (1926.350 to 1926.354) for construction (OSHA welding standards). The posting does not need to quote them; it should describe the conditions the rules exist for, such as fumes, hot work, confined spaces or heights.
The welder job description template
Welder — [Production / Fabrication / Structural / Pipe /
Maintenance], [process], [shift]
[Company], [shop or site location, city, state]
[If travel: sites in [region], [per diem $N/day, with conditions].]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per hour, plus [shift differential, overtime
pattern]. [Benefits summary, if required.]
SUMMARY
You will weld [parts / assemblies / structural members / pipe]
in [carbon steel / stainless / aluminum], [N gauge to N inch],
mostly using [process] in [flat and horizontal / all positions /
6G]. Work is built to [code or customer spec / internal
standards]. You will [fit up your own work from prints / weld
parts fitted by others] in a [shop / plant / field] setting.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Read prints and weld symbols and set up your machine for the
procedure.
- [Fit, tack and weld assemblies to tolerance.]
- Inspect your welds visually and fix defects before parts move on.
- [Grind, cut with plasma or oxy-fuel, and use hand tools.]
- Follow hot work, ventilation and PPE rules for each job.
YOU MUST HAVE
- [N] years welding [process] on [material] in [position].
- Ability to pass our weld test: [process], [position],
[material and thickness], [bend test / visual / X-ray].
- Availability for [shift, overtime, travel].
- Ability to perform the work below, with or without reasonable
accommodation.
NICE TO HAVE
- AWS Certified Welder or other current qualification in
[process and position].
- [Fitting / layout / forklift or overhead crane] experience.
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
THE WELD TEST
Held at [location] on [days]. Takes about [N] hours. [Paid at
$N/hour / unpaid]. We provide [PPE, filler, coupons]; bring
[hood, gloves, hand tools].
CONDITIONS
- [Shop / plant / field] work, standing and positioning for long
periods, [heights, confined spaces, outdoor weather].
- Offers subject to [checks] as permitted by law.
[EEO STATEMENT]
To request an adjustment to apply, test or interview, contact
[contact].Pay and EEO
Post the hourly range, differentials, overtime pattern and, for travel work, per diem and how it is paid. If the rate depends on the test result (for example, a higher rate for a 6G pass, as an example structure), say so. The BLS profile above publishes pay data for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers; this page does not quote figures. Close with an EEO statement covering the characteristics the EEOC lists, and keep vision and health questions out of the posting and screen; medical exams come only after an offer under the ADA.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process and position | "Which process did you use most in the last year, in which positions, on what material and thickness?" | Welding experience | Specific process, positions and thicknesses that match the test |
| Test readiness | "When did you last pass a weld test, what was it, and how was it checked?" | Qualification history | Names the position, material and test method, and the date |
| Prints and fit-up | "What does a weld symbol with a flag and a circle tell you? How do you check fit-up before welding?" | Print reading | Field weld, weld all around; checks gap, alignment and squareness against the print |
| Quality | "Tell me about a weld that failed inspection. What caused it and what did you change?" | Quality judgment | Names the defect (porosity, undercut, lack of fusion), the cause and the fix |
| Conditions | "The job is second shift, field work two weeks a month, in confined spaces at times. Does that work?" | Not scored | Knockout confirmed |
The full screen, with red flags, is in welder screening questions. For how the shop test fits into the interview loop, see the interview guide for skilled trades. For production welding roles staffed alongside assemblers and machine operators, use light industrial screening questions for the rest of the order.
Common mistakes in welder job descriptions
"MIG/TIG/Stick" with nothing else
Listing every process tells a welder nothing. Name the main process, the positions and the thickness.
Making AWS certification a must-have by default
It turns away experienced welders qualified by employers and does not replace your test. Require it only where a contract or code does.
Hiding the test
A welder who knows the test is a 3G plate in flux core can decide whether to come. Describe it, and say whether the time is paid.
Leaving out the conditions
Field travel, confined spaces, heights and night shift change who applies and who stays. Put them in the summary.
Before you publish
- Process, positions, material and thickness are in the summary.
- The code or spec is named only if you weld to one.
- The weld test is described, with time and pay.
- Pay, differentials and per diem are stated with conditions.
- Shop, plant or field conditions and the accommodation contact are included.
Questions people ask
Should a welder job posting require AWS certification?
Only if a customer contract or code requires it. The AWS Certified Welder program is a performance test taken at an AWS Accredited Test Facility, and many skilled welders are instead qualified by employers to the employer's own procedures. Most shops weld-test every hire anyway, so asking for experience with the process and position and stating your test is usually the better line.
What is the difference between a welder certification and a qualification?
A certification such as AWS Certified Welder is held by the welder and is portable between employers, as long as it is maintained. A qualification is usually a test the employer runs to its own welding procedure under a code, and the record typically stays with that employer. Ask candidates which they have, for which process and position, and when they last welded that way.
How do I describe the weld test in a job posting?
Say what the test is (process, position, material and thickness), where and when it happens, how long it takes, and whether it is paid. Candidates can then tell whether they are ready, and fewer no-shows reach the booth.
Do welding job postings need to mention OSHA?
There is no rule that a posting must, but OSHA has welding, cutting and brazing standards for general industry and construction. Describing the real conditions, such as fumes, confined spaces, heights or hot work permits, helps candidates judge fit and is more useful than a generic safety line.