Shipfitter Jobs in Port Arthur, TX
Lay out, cut, fit, and align steel plate and structure for the welders.
What shipfitters earn around Port Arthur
The median, range, and annual figures above are market data — Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for Texas, via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop. Cost of living here runs about 9% below the national average — your paycheck goes further. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities.
Shipfitters in the Port Arthur market
Port Arthur is a long-standing ship-repair and offshore-fabrication center on the Texas Gulf Coast — Gulf Copper's yard here is in the middle of a major shipbuilding expansion. Alex named East Texas as one of the best places to find this work, and AMS recruits from it.
In Port Arthur the shipfitter's work goes through Gulf Copper & Manufacturing and Bludworth Marine, and it is the hull layout and fit-up — setting frames, plate and assemblies to the drawing before they are welded out.
- Gulf Copper & Manufacturing
- Bludworth Marine
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 55,779
- Median household income
- $45,752
- Average commute
- 23 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 91.079
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for Port Arthur city, Texas, not the wider metro area.
What a shipfitter does in Port Arthur
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 Port Arthur needs shipfitters right now
Port Arthur is a fitter's kind of repair town. Offshore-fabrication and ship-repair work on the Sabine-Neches waterway means steel renewal — laying out inserts, cutting crop lines, fitting new plate into old hulls where nothing is square anymore — and Gulf Copper's major yard expansion points to a bigger structural workload ahead, not a smaller one. New construction fits from drawings; repair fits from what's actually there. Port Arthur teaches both, and the second one is the harder school.
Statewide, Texas structural fabricators and fitters earn a median near $48,490 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). AMS hires shipfitters at $35–$40/hr plus overtime — a real step up for a fitter working plant steel — and actively recruits from the Port Arthur market for hull and structural assembly across the Gulf. Travel with per diem is common, the résumé is optional, and repair-honed layout judgment is exactly what the work rewards most.
If you've fit repair inserts on vessels in a Port Arthur yard, laid out crop-and-renew jobs where the drawing was only a suggestion, or braced and tacked plate on offshore fab work, you own the judgment shipyards can't hire fast enough. Fitting new steel into a hull that's seen years of service is pure experience. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime for it and treats you like the veteran you are.
Bring your experience to AMSShipfitter jobs in Port Arthur — FAQ
How much do shipfitters make in Port Arthur, TX?
In Texas, shipfitters earn a median of about $23.18 per hour — typically $16.55–$31.85 per hour (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop). With local prices at 91.079 against a national 100, that median buys roughly what $25.45 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 shipfitters in Port Arthur?
AMS recruits shipfitters across the Gulf Coast, including the Port Arthur 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 Port Arthur?
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 Gulf Copper & Manufacturing and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Port Arthur yard work?
Workers in Port Arthur city, Texas report an average commute of about 23 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 Port Arthur?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.