Pipe Welder Jobs in Houston, TX
Weld marine pipe systems to code — carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, copper-nickel.
What pipe welders earn around Houston
The median, range, and annual figures above are market data — Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metro Area, via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop. Cost of living here runs about 1% below the national average — your paycheck goes further. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities.
What a pipe welder does in Houston
Pipe welders join and repair the piping systems that run through a ship — welding carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper-nickel to ASME, AWS, and ABS code. The work is precise: reading isometric drawings, fitting spools, running TIG and stick in every position including 6G, and passing hydro and X-ray testing. It's the craft behind every pipe and structural project AMS delivers.
Around Houston, pipe welders run from $18.50 at the 10th percentile to $39.39 at the 90th — a $20.89 an hour gap between the bottom and the top of the trade. That gap is what certification and a clean X-ray record are worth here.
Pipe Welders in the Houston market
The Houston-Galveston ship channel is one of the busiest marine-industrial corridors in the country, with ship-repair and fabrication yards up and down the channel. It's one of the East Texas markets AMS actively recruits welders and fitters from.
- Gulf Copper (Galveston)
- Southwest Shipyard
- Bludworth Marine
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 2,300,419
- Median household income
- $62,894
- Average commute
- 27 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 98.772
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for Houston city, Texas, not the wider metro area.
Why Houston needs pipe welders right now
Houston's pipe demand runs two directions at once. On the marine side, Gulf Copper builds distributed modules for Navy DDG-51 destroyers out of Galveston — Ingalls erected the first 'grand blocks' from distributed-build partners in July 2026, and code pipe runs through every one of those units. On the industrial side, the largest port complex in the country by waterborne tonnage (USACE 2023) keeps a deep repair and supplier base running, all of it hungry for 6G hands who can pass X-ray.
The catch: you are one of roughly 15,850 welders in the Houston metro — the largest, most diversified welder pool in the nation, and the most competitive (BLS, May 2025). Refineries, fab shops, and pipeline outfits all bid for the same tickets. AMS offers a different path: $35–$40/hr plus overtime on Gulf Coast marine pipe, with travel and per-diem work common. Instead of fighting the biggest welder market in America for the next job, you bring your stainless and copper-nickel work to Gulf marine jobs that need it.
If you've run 6G TIG on stainless spools in a Houston fab shop, welded copper-nickel on a ship-channel repair job, or passed hydro on refinery tie-ins, that experience is exactly what the marine trade is short on. GAO reported in 2025 that all seven Navy private shipbuilders struggle with recruitment and retention — experienced pipe hands are the hardest fill there is. AMS pays $35–$40/hr for that ticket and puts you straight to work. No re-proving entry level.
Bring your experience to AMSPipe Welder jobs in Houston — FAQ
How much do pipe welders make in Houston, TX?
In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metro Area, pipe welders earn a median of about $27.86 per hour — typically $18.50–$39.39 per hour (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop). With local prices at 98.772 against a national 100, that median buys roughly what $28.21 an hour would nationally. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities; the rate for a specific role is discussed when you apply.
Does AMS hire pipe welders in Houston?
AMS recruits pipe welders across the Gulf Coast, including the Houston market, for marine fabrication and repair work. Apply and tell us your trade, your experience, and whether you can travel.
What do I need to get hired as a pipe welder in Houston?
For pipe welders, AMS looks first at 6g / all-position and tig & stick. Every role also requires passing a shipyard safety orientation and a drug screen, and a TWIC card is usually needed for yard access at Gulf Copper (Galveston) and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Houston yard work?
Workers in Houston city, Texas report an average commute of about 27 minutes (U.S. Census ACS). Yard start times are early, so most crews plan the drive around shift change rather than rush hour. If you would rather travel to the work than commute to it, AMS runs per-diem assignments across the Gulf Coast.
Ready to work as a pipe welder in Houston?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.