Structural Welder Jobs in Houston, TX
Weld hulls, decks, bulkheads, and steel structures — new build and repair.
What structural 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.
Structural 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.
Structural Welders working Houston are on the plate and structural work — bulkheads, framing, foundations — that carries the vessel's load, through yards like Gulf Copper (Galveston) and Southwest Shipyard, Bludworth Marine. 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.
- 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.
What a structural welder does in Houston
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 Houston needs structural welders right now
The Navy's distributed-build push has turned Houston–Galveston into destroyer country. Gulf Copper fabricates structural modules for DDG-51 destroyers, and in July 2026 Ingalls erected the first 'grand blocks' built by distributed partners — heavy steel assemblies welded on the Texas coast and joined into hulls in Pascagoula. That program sits on top of a ship-channel repair base that has always needed flux-core and stick hands for hulls, decks, and foundations, on vessels that can't stay tied up long.
Structural welders in Houston compete in the nation's largest welder pool — about 15,850 across the metro (BLS, May 2025), spread over construction, energy, and fabrication. That depth keeps jobs contested and wages honest. AMS pulls structural welders out of this market for Gulf Coast vessel work at $35–$40/hr plus overtime — new construction, retrofit, and repair — with travel and per-diem work common. If you'd rather weld ships than warehouse frames, this is the lane.
If you've burned flux-core on heavy plate in a Houston fab yard, welded barge repairs out of position on the ship channel, or worked structural steel on marine modules, you carry the exact experience Gulf yards can't train fast enough. Quality structural welding inside a vessel takes years, not a boot camp — which is why experienced hands are the industry's hardest fill. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime for that skill and puts it on real hulls, not a waiting list.
Bring your experience to AMSStructural Welder jobs in Houston — FAQ
How much do structural welders make in Houston, TX?
In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metro Area, structural 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 structural welders in Houston?
AMS recruits structural 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 structural welder in Houston?
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 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 structural welder in Houston?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.