Shipfitter Jobs in Gulfport, MS
Lay out, cut, fit, and align steel plate and structure for the welders.
Shipfitters in the Gulfport market
Gulfport and the Mississippi coast carry a working marine-industrial base of new-construction and repair yards along the harbor, a short run from the big Pascagoula yards. It's part of the Mississippi market AMS recruits from.
The shipfitter's job around Gulfport is blueprint layout, cutting & fit-up, bracing & tacking — the layout that has to be right before a welder ever strikes an arc on work staged through yards like Bollinger Gulfport. Get the fit wrong and the weld cannot save it.
- Bollinger Gulfport
- Gulf Ship
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 72,533
- Median household income
- $46,044
- Average commute
- 22 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 88.937
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for Gulfport city, Mississippi, not the wider metro area.
What a shipfitter does in Gulfport
Shipfitters turn plans into steel — reading blueprints, laying out and cutting plate and structural members, then fitting, bracing, and tacking them into alignment so the welders can finish the joint. It's the layout and fit-up craft at the front of every structural job, on new construction and repair alike, and it demands a sharp eye for tolerance and a feel for how a hull goes together.
Why Gulfport needs shipfitters right now
Shipfitting is the front of every build in Gulfport's new-construction yards — plate laid out, cut, fit, braced, and tacked before production welding starts — so demand for fitters tracks hull starts on the harbor. The clearest signal about where this labor market is headed is the training money: a $5.706 million Department of Labor grant is funding shipbuilding training in Harrison County, the county Gulfport sits in. Money like that follows demand — the region expects to need more shipbuilders, not fewer, and fit-up is where every one of those future hulls will start.
Here's the pay math worth knowing. Structural metal fabricators and fitters — the closest published trade to shipfitting — earn a Mississippi median of about $42,550 a year, roughly $20 an hour (BLS, May 2025). AMS pays shipfitters $35–$40 an hour plus overtime; the base rate alone runs far above that median, and OT stacks on top. Gulfport is a recruiting market for AMS — expect travel and per-diem assignments, with crews currently active in Pascagoula and Mobile nearby. If you can read a blueprint and make plate land where the drawing says, apply; résumé optional.
If you've fit and tacked structure in a coast yard — laying out plate from blueprints, pulling units into alignment, holding tolerance through QA checks — that skill set is precisely what AMS recruits from the Mississippi coast. Fit-up judgment doesn't come out of a classroom; it comes off the deck plates, and experienced shipfitters are among the hardest roles in the industry to fill. AMS pays $35–$40 an hour for that judgment and puts you to work as the hand you already are, not an entry-level re-tryout.
Bring your experience to AMSShipfitter jobs in Gulfport — FAQ
Does AMS hire shipfitters in Gulfport?
AMS recruits shipfitters across the Gulf Coast, including the Gulfport 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 shipfitter in Gulfport?
For shipfitters, AMS looks first at blueprint layout and cutting & fit-up. Every role also requires passing a shipyard safety orientation and a drug screen, and a TWIC card is usually needed for yard access at Bollinger Gulfport and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Gulfport yard work?
Workers in Gulfport city, Mississippi report an average commute of about 22 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 shipfitter in Gulfport?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.