Structural Welder Jobs in Gulfport, MS
Weld hulls, decks, bulkheads, and steel structures — new build and repair.
What structural welders earn around Gulfport
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. Cost of living here runs about 11% below the national average — your paycheck goes further. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities.
Structural Welders 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.
Structural Welders working Gulfport are on the plate and structural work — bulkheads, framing, foundations — that carries the vessel's load, through yards like Bollinger Gulfport and Gulf Ship. What that means day to day depends on whether the yard is running new construction or repair — the fit-up problems are not the same.
- 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 structural welder does in Gulfport
Structural welders build and repair the steel that holds a vessel together — hulls, bulkheads, decks, foundations, catwalks, and platforms — welding to structural code on onshore and offshore projects, new constructions, retrofits, and repairs. Flux-core, stick, and MIG in tight, out-of-position spots. AMS handles every aspect to the highest quality standards.
Why Gulfport needs structural welders right now
Structural steel demand here starts local — Gulfport's harbor carries working new-construction and repair yards, and hull steel is where every build begins. The wider signal is national: a 2025 GAO review found all seven of the Navy's private shipbuilders reporting recruitment and retention problems, competing for the same welders as oil and gas, construction, and technology employers. Traveling structural welders are exactly who fills that gap, and the Gulf Coast is where the bulk of that work lives — with the Mississippi coast sitting in the middle of it.
Zoom out and the whole Gulf is short on structural hands: the five Gulf states combined carried 28,314 private shipbuilding jobs in 2024 — 26.4 percent of the entire U.S. shipbuilding-and-repair workforce (BLS QCEW) — and Mississippi holds the largest single share of it. AMS pays structural welders $35–$40 an hour plus overtime. From Gulfport that usually means travel and per-diem work, which is common on AMS jobs, with crews currently active in Pascagoula and Mobile. Bring flux-core, stick, and out-of-position capability; the application is short and a résumé is optional.
If you've burned flux-core on hull plate, run stick on decks and foundations, or repaired steel alongside in a Gulf yard, your ticket travels well from Gulfport. AMS recruits structural welders off the Mississippi coast precisely because coast hands come in already knowing marine steel — the tight access, the out-of-position work, the code standard. Experienced structural welders are among the industry's hardest fills, so AMS pays $35–$40 an hour for proven capability and doesn't route you back through entry level to prove it.
Bring your experience to AMSStructural Welder jobs in Gulfport — FAQ
How much do structural welders make in Gulfport, MS?
In the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS Metro Area, structural 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). With local prices at 88.937 against a national 100, that median buys roughly what $34.29 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 structural welders in Gulfport?
AMS recruits structural welders 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 structural welder in Gulfport?
For structural welders, AMS looks first at flux-core, stick, mig and structural code. 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 structural welder in Gulfport?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.