Structural Welder Jobs in Tampa, FL
Weld hulls, decks, bulkheads, and steel structures — new build and repair.
What structural welders earn around Tampa
The median, range, and annual figures above are market data — Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metro Area, via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop. Cost of living here runs right around the national average. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities.
Structural Welders in the Tampa market
Tampa sits on Port Tampa Bay, one of the largest ports in Florida, with a working ship-repair cluster along the channel — dry docks and topside repair yards that keep the commercial and government fleet running. It's a Gulf ship-repair market AMS is hiring welders and fitters for right now.
Structural Welders working Tampa are on the plate and structural work — bulkheads, framing, foundations — that carries the vessel's load, through yards like Tampa Ship and International Ship Repair & Marine Services. 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.
- Tampa Ship
- International Ship Repair & Marine Services
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 393,389
- Median household income
- $71,302
- Average commute
- 25 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 99.856
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for Tampa city, Florida, not the wider metro area.
What a structural welder does in Tampa
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 Tampa needs structural welders right now
Steel renewal is the backbone of any repair market. Hulls come into Tampa's docks with wasted plate, cracked frames, and doublers that were supposed to be temporary, and structural welders crop it out and weld the new steel in — inserts, frame sections, foundations, deck plate — to structural code, with surveyors watching the work. Conversion jobs add whole new structure on top: deck strengthening and equipment foundations landed on an old ship. About 2,520 welders work in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater metro across all industries (BLS, May 2025), so marine work competes for steel hands with every fab shop and construction outfit in the bay area.
That competition is the point: median welder pay in the metro is $49,930 a year (BLS, May 2025) — roughly $24 an hour, and the figure excludes overtime. AMS is hiring structural welders in Tampa now at $35–$40 an hour plus overtime opportunities, which clears the local median with room to spare. If you're already welding in a Tampa fab shop, marine structural work is a pay move that uses the processes you run every day. If you're outside the bay area, AMS runs travel and per-diem crews as a matter of course.
If you've welded hull inserts in a drydock, run flux-core overhead on a bulkhead patch, or burned out and rewelded a foundation while the ship's crew worked around you, Tampa repair work is your lane. Yard experience from new construction transfers directly — flux-core on steel modules, out-of-position stick, welding under survey. Experienced structural welders who can pass a test and produce in tight, dirty repair conditions are the industry's hardest fill, and AMS pays $35–$40 an hour to get them.
Bring your experience to AMSStructural Welder jobs in Tampa — FAQ
How much do structural welders make in Tampa, FL?
In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL Metro Area, structural welders earn a median of about $24.00 per hour — typically $19.18–$32.39 per hour (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop). With local prices at 99.856 against a national 100, that median buys roughly what $24.03 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 Tampa?
AMS recruits structural welders across the Gulf Coast, including the Tampa 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 Tampa?
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 Tampa Ship and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Tampa yard work?
Workers in Tampa city, Florida report an average commute of about 25 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 Tampa?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.