Pipe Welder Jobs in Pascagoula, MS
Weld marine pipe systems to code — carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, copper-nickel.
What pipe welders earn around Pascagoula
The median, range, and annual figures above are market data — Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for Gulfport-Biloxi, MS Metro Area, via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities.
What a pipe welder does in Pascagoula
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 Pascagoula, pipe welders run from $18.73 at the 10th percentile to $30.50 at the 90th — a $11.77 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 Pascagoula market
Pascagoula is the single biggest shipbuilding cluster on the Gulf Coast — Ingalls Shipbuilding is the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi, building destroyers and amphibious ships, with Bollinger's Mississippi yards next door in Moss Point and Escatawpa. AMS has crews working the Pascagoula market now.
- Ingalls Shipbuilding (HII)
- Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding (Pascagoula & Moss Point)
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 21,812
- Median household income
- $43,286
- Average commute
- 19 min
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year. Figures are for Pascagoula city, Mississippi, not the wider metro area.
Why Pascagoula needs pipe welders right now
Ingalls has six DDG-51 destroyers under contract in the FY23–FY27 multiyear, plus a September 2024 amphibious-ship award worth up to $9.472 billion for LHA assault ships and LPD transport docks — workload projected into the early 2030s. Every one of those hulls carries dense runs of code pipe, and serial production keeps that pipe work rolling hull after hull instead of drying up between contracts. For a pipe welder, that is one of the deepest, most predictable pipelines of code work anywhere on the Gulf Coast — measured in years, not project cycles.
About 2,220 welders work across the Gulfport–Biloxi coastal metro, with a median around $63,440 a year — pushed up by the defense work next door (BLS, May 2025). AMS pays $35–$40 an hour plus overtime, which clears that median at the base rate. And because AMS crews are already working this market, Pascagoula is one of the places where a marine pipe job doesn't have to mean living out of a hotel — though travel and per-diem work across the Gulf is common with AMS if you want the road. Résumé optional; the application is short.
If you've run 6G on carbon or stainless inside a hull, passed X-ray on spools you fit yourself, or held pipe quals at a defense yard, Pascagoula work will read as familiar from the first day. Serial Navy construction rewards welders who already know code work — hydro tests, inspection holds, tight tolerances — because the schedule doesn't wait on a learning curve. That's the hand AMS is after: experienced pipe welders are the industry's hardest fill, and AMS pays $35–$40 an hour for proven skill instead of making you re-prove entry level.
Bring your experience to AMSPipe Welder jobs in Pascagoula — FAQ
How much do pipe welders make in Pascagoula, MS?
In the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS Metro Area, pipe welders earn a median of about $30.50 per hour — typically $18.73–$30.50 per hour (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop). 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 Pascagoula?
Yes. AMS has crews working the Pascagoula market and hires pipe welders for shipbuilding and ship repair. Apply through our Employment / Job Application page and tell us your trade and experience.
What do I need to get hired as a pipe welder in Pascagoula?
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 Ingalls Shipbuilding (HII) and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Pascagoula yard work?
Workers in Pascagoula city, Mississippi report an average commute of about 19 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 Pascagoula?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.