The short version. A welder resume is judged on three things fast: the processes you run, the materials and positions you're qualified in, and proof your welds pass inspection and X-ray. Shops and parsers search literally for "MIG," "TIG," "AWS D1.1," "6G," "stainless," and "blueprint reading" — so put your certifications and processes near the top, name your materials and positions, and back every claim with a number. Below is a complete example you can model, the hard and soft skills that matter, the ATS keywords to mirror, a realistic salary range, the mistakes that quietly sink trade candidates, and a FAQ. Build yours free in Backstage — or hand the whole search to a real strategist.
What a Welder actually does
A welder joins and fabricates metal — steel, stainless, aluminum, and alloys — by melting and fusing parts together to a drawing, a weld procedure specification (WPS), and a governing code. The work usually starts with a blueprint or fabrication drawing: the welder reads it, interprets the weld symbols (fillet, groove, bevel, leg size, root opening), lays out and fits the parts, tacks them in jig or fixture, and then lays the finished welds in the positions the joint demands. On a typical shift that can mean running a MIG gun on a production line, dragging stick rod on structural steel in the field, or running a clean TIG bead on a stainless food-grade tube — then grinding, cleaning, and presenting the weld for inspection. The other half of the job is everything around the arc: setting machine parameters (amperage, voltage, wire feed, gas flow), selecting filler metal and shielding gas, controlling distortion and heat input, performing fit-up and tacking, and producing welds that pass visual, bend, and radiographic (X-ray) inspection on the first submission.
The day-to-day shifts sharply by process and segment, which is why a resume has to name them. MIG / GMAW is the production workhorse — fast and high-deposition on steel and aluminum sheet and plate, common in manufacturing and general fabrication. TIG / GTAW is the precision process — slow, clean, and used on stainless, aluminum, thin-wall, and high-spec work like aerospace, sanitary piping, and food-grade tube. Stick / SMAW is the field and structural process — rugged, portable, and forgiving of dirty or outdoor conditions, used on structural steel and pipe. Flux-core / FCAW is the heavy-deposition process for thick structural, shipbuilding, and heavy equipment. A welder's segment matters as much as the process: a structural welder works to AWS D1.1 on buildings and steel structures; a pipe welder works to ASME Section IX or API 1104 on process piping and pipeline, often qualified in the demanding 6G position; a fabrication welder builds assemblies and weldments to print in a shop; a field welder works on site, in position, in weather.
Qualification level is the third coordinate. A weld test certifies a welder for a specific process, joint type, position, and material thickness — a WPQ (welder performance qualification) is the record of what you passed. Positions run from 1G (flat, easiest) through 2G (horizontal), 3G (vertical), 4G (overhead), and on pipe up to 5G and 6G (the 45-degree fixed pipe test that qualifies all positions). The resume's job is to make all three coordinates — process, segment, and qualified positions and materials — legible in the first few seconds, then prove them with the work. Throughout, safety is not a footnote: welders work hot work permits, confined-space entry, fume extraction, PPE, and fire watch, because the hazard is real and a shop's insurance and reputation ride on a clean record.
What hiring managers & ATS look for
Welder resumes face two readers. First a parser files your text into searchable fields, and a shop foreman or fabrication lead runs literal keyword searches — "TIG welder," "AWS D1.1," "6G," "stainless," "blueprint reading." If those terms aren't written in plain text, you don't appear in the search. Second, a hiring lead skims the top third for a fast yes/no: do you run the processes this job needs, are you qualified in the right positions and materials, and will your welds pass inspection. They are scanning for five things in particular:
| What they want | What that looks like on the resume |
|---|---|
| Processes & certifications | "AWS Certified Welder — SMAW 3G/4G, GMAW, GTAW" or a documented WPQ — stated near the top, not buried. |
| Materials & positions | Carbon steel, stainless, aluminum named plainly, with the positions (1G–6G) qualified for the role's work. |
| Code & inspection record | AWS D1.1 / ASME Section IX / API 1104 compliance and a first-pass acceptance rate — "welded to AWS D1.1, passing X-ray on first submission." |
| Weld quality & X-ray record | First-pass visual, bend-test, and radiographic (X-ray) acceptance or reject rate, with a number. |
| Hands-on scope | Blueprint & weld-symbol reading, fit-up, material thicknesses, parts per shift, equipment and machines run. |
The single most common reason a capable welder gets passed over is a resume that lists duties ("responsible for welding," "did fabrication," "welded parts") instead of process, material, code, and outcome. Those phrases describe motion, not capability, and they contain none of the searchable nouns — processes, codes, positions, materials, certs — a shop hires on. Every bullet should pair the weld with a measurable result: parts per shift, first-pass X-ray acceptance rate, scrap reduction, downtime cut, or positions qualified.
The full resume example
Here is a complete, single-column, ATS-safe example for a certified fabrication and structural welder. The title, summary, certifications, skills, and bullets are written the way our strategists actually build them — every detail is the kind a shop foreman checks, and every bullet leads with scope or outcome.
Professional Summary
AWS Certified Welder with 7 years in structural and fabrication welding, from shop weldments to field structural steel. Qualified in SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, and GTAW across carbon steel, stainless, and aluminum, in positions 1G through 4G and 6G on pipe. Welds to AWS D1.1 and ASME Section IX with a 98% first-pass visual and X-ray acceptance rate. Reads blueprints and weld symbols, handles fit-up and layout, and runs a clean, low-distortion bead. OSHA 30 certified with a zero-recordable safety record.
Certifications & Qualifications
Welding: AWS Certified Welder — SMAW 3G/4G, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW (WPQ on file) · Code: AWS D1.1 (structural steel), ASME Section IX (pipe), 6G pipe qualified · Safety: OSHA 30-Hour Construction, confined-space entry, hot-work permit, fire watch · Other: Forklift & aerial-lift certified, valid driver's license, blueprint & weld-symbol reading
Processes & Skills
Processes: MIG/GMAW, TIG/GTAW, Stick/SMAW, Flux-Core/FCAW, oxy-fuel & plasma cutting, carbon-arc gouging · Materials: Carbon & mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, structural & plate up to 1" · Positions: 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G (plate); 5G, 6G (pipe) · Fab & QC: Blueprint & weld-symbol reading, fit-up & layout, jig/fixture work, grinding & finishing, distortion control, visual/bend/X-ray inspection prep
Work Experience
- Welded structural steel assemblies to AWS D1.1 in SMAW and FCAW (3G/4G), holding a 99% first-pass visual and a 98% first-pass X-ray acceptance rate across 14 months.
- Ran TIG/GTAW on stainless and aluminum sanitary and pressure components to ASME Section IX, passing third-party UT/RT inspection with under 2% reject rate.
- Increased fabrication throughput 22% by re-sequencing fit-up and tacking and dialing in MIG parameters to cut rework and grinding time.
- Reduced weld scrap and rework cost by an estimated $40K/year by tightening fit-up tolerances and controlling heat input and distortion on thin-wall stainless.
- Maintained a zero-recordable safety record across 3 years, working hot-work permits, confined-space entry, and fire watch on every applicable job.
- Welded field structural steel and process pipe in position (3G/4G plate, 5G/6G pipe), passing X-ray on 96%+ of pipe joints on first submission.
- Qualified and re-qualified 6G on carbon and stainless to ASME Section IX, expanding the crew's coverage for high-spec pipe work.
- Completed oxy-fuel and plasma cutting, carbon-arc gouging, and bevel prep for fit-up on heavy structural members.
- Read fabrication drawings and weld symbols to lay out and fit assemblies to spec, keeping two job sites on schedule.
- Ran MIG/GMAW on a high-volume production line, completing 180+ welded parts per shift to print with a sub-3% scrap rate.
- Learned fixture and jig work, machine setup, and weld-symbol reading under journeyman supervision while completing AWS certification.
Education & Training
Welding Technology Certificate — Houston Community College, 2017 · Coursework: SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, metallurgy, weld symbols, blueprint reading, AWS code · Passed 3G/4G plate and 6G pipe weld tests
Notice what the example does. The summary front-loads the processes, the materials and positions qualified, the codes, the first-pass X-ray acceptance rate, and the safety record. The certifications and qualifications block sits second, where a shop foreman looks first, and guarantees keyword coverage for the credentials that gate the role. Every role names the segment in its subheading, and every bullet lands on scope or outcome — parts per shift, X-ray acceptance rate, throughput up, scrap cut, positions qualified. That is the whole pattern, repeated.
Build this in minutes, free.
Backstage, our free self-serve builder, gives you this exact ATS-safe structure with the prompts pre-filled for welders. Drop in your processes, your AWS certs, your positions and materials, and your project scope and export a parser-clean PDF.
Build yours free →Key hard & soft skills
Welder hiring weights demonstrated, code-compliant, X-ray-passing work heavily, but the soft skills are what keep a job safe, on schedule, and out of the scrap bin — and a foreman reads them between the lines of your scope. Mirror the hard skills the posting names; let the soft skills show through your bullets rather than as adjectives.
Hard skills
Soft skills
A welder who can only run a clean MIG bead on flat plate will lose to one who can also read a complex weld symbol, fit and tack accurately, run TIG on stainless in position, troubleshoot porosity or undercut, and pass X-ray clean. Prove those through the work: "98% first-pass X-ray acceptance," "qualified 6G on carbon and stainless," "cut scrap by $40K/year," "180+ parts per shift to print." Those phrases show the soft skills as outcomes, not claims.
ATS keywords to mirror
These are the literal terms shops and parsers search for on welder roles. Pull the eight to twelve that genuinely match the specific posting, confirm you can defend each in a weld test, and place each one both in your certifications or skills block and, proven, inside a bullet. Do not list a process, code, or position you have never qualified on.
Common Welder ATS keywords
Two exact-match details welders miss: spell out the credential the way a posting does — "AWS Certified Welder," "AWS D1.1," "ASME Section IX," "6G pipe qualified" — because a recruiter may search either the abbreviation (TIG) or the standard term (GTAW), so include both, and use the standard job title and segment ("Structural Welder," "Pipe Welder," "TIG Welder/Fabricator") rather than a vague internal one like "Shop Hand" or "Metal Worker" if the posting uses the standard term.
Realistic salary range
Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024), welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn a national median near $48,000, with most between roughly $37,000 and $72,000. Certified TIG, pipe, and code welders earn more, and specialized welders — pipeline, underwater, aerospace, nuclear, or rig welders on overtime or per-diem contracts — can clear $70K–$100K+, before overtime and travel pay.
Treat any single number as a starting point, not a ceiling. Process and code specialty is the biggest lever — a certified 6G pipe or TIG/stainless welder out-earns a general production MIG welder substantially — and segment is close behind, with pipeline, refinery, and industrial work generally paying more than light fabrication. Overtime, per-diem, and travel are real factors on field and shutdown work and can add meaningfully to base pay, and metro area, certifications, and shift premiums all move the figure. Anchor your expectations to your processes, codes, positions, and local market, and remember that your quantified record — your first-pass X-ray acceptance rate, your positions qualified, your scrap reduction — is exactly what justifies a number at the top of the band in a negotiation.
Common resume mistakes Welders make
The throughline across all six: a parser needs clean, named welding text — processes, codes, positions, materials, certs — and a foreman needs proof your welds pass inspection and you work safely around hot work and confined spaces. Most rejected welder resumes fail one or both — not because the welder can't lay a bead, but because the page never proved it.
A great resume is the starting line, not the finish.
The example gets you ATS-ready. Marqee's human-led Career Concierge then finds the shops, fab houses, and contractors hiring for your processes and codes, runs outreach and referral discovery, tailors each application, and submits on your behalf — so you headline the marquee instead of getting lost in the pile.
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Frequently asked questions
List the certifications that prove what you can actually weld, because shops and parsers search for them literally. The core one in the US is AWS certification — for example AWS Certified Welder or a documented welder performance qualification (WPQ) — named with the process, position, and material it covers, such as "AWS D1.1 SMAW 3G/4G on carbon steel." Add the codes you've qualified under (AWS D1.1 structural steel, D1.5 bridge, ASME Section IX for pipe and pressure work, API 1104 for pipeline), plus OSHA 10 or OSHA 30, a forklift or aerial-lift certification if you hold one, and any specialty like CWI inspection or NDT familiarity. Put certifications near the top of the resume, with the process, position, and code spelled out, since they are usually a hard gate for the role.
One page for most welders, and one to two pages for a senior or lead welder, pipe welder, or welding supervisor with a long project history. A shop foreman or fabrication lead scans the top third for the processes you run (MIG, TIG, stick, flux-core), the positions and materials you're qualified in, your code and AWS certification status, and proof your welds pass inspection and X-ray. Keep it dense: certifications and processes near the top, then experience bullets that name the process, position, material, code, and a number — first-pass weld acceptance rate, X-ray reject rate, throughput, or scrap reduction.
They are different skills to a hiring manager, so name the ones you run and the materials and positions you run them in. MIG (GMAW) is fast, common in production and fabrication, and used heavily on steel and aluminum sheet and plate. TIG (GTAW) is precise and clean, used on stainless, aluminum, and thin or high-spec work like aerospace, food-grade, and sanitary piping. Stick (SMAW) is rugged and field-friendly, used in structural, pipe, and outdoor or dirty conditions. Flux-core (FCAW) is high-deposition, used in heavy structural and shipbuilding. State the processes you're qualified in, the positions (1G–6G, flat to overhead), and the materials (carbon steel, stainless, aluminum), because a shop running TIG on stainless will pass on a resume that only shows MIG on mild steel, and vice versa.
Lead with your training and certifications: the welding program or trade school, your AWS certification or documented weld test results, and the processes, positions, and materials you've qualified on. Quantify what you can — bend-test and X-ray pass rates in school, positions certified (3G, 4G, 6G), hours of hands-on, parts or joints completed in any production or internship setting, and any blueprint or weld-symbol coursework. Add OSHA 10, a forklift cert, and a clean safety habit. A clear "here is exactly what I can weld, to what code, and how clean" story beats a vague list of "did welding."
In the United States, welder, cutter, solderer, and brazer pay generally runs from about $37,000 to $72,000 a year, with a national median near $48,000 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Production and general fabrication welders sit around the median; certified TIG, pipe, and code welders earn more; and specialized welders — underwater, pipeline, aerospace, nuclear, or rig welders working overtime or per-diem contracts — can clear $70,000 to well over $100,000, before overtime and travel pay. Certification, process specialty, code work, position qualifications, overtime, shift, and metro area all move the number significantly.
Yes — explicitly. Code compliance, weld quality, and safety are the first things a shop and an inspector care about, and "AWS D1.1," "ASME Section IX," "API 1104," "X-ray," "WPS," and "OSHA" are literal terms recruiters and parsers search for. Show them as outcomes, not adjectives: "welded to AWS D1.1 with a 98% first-pass visual and X-ray acceptance rate," "qualified 6G on carbon and stainless to ASME Section IX," "maintained a zero-recordable safety record across 18 months." A resume that proves your welds pass inspection and you work safely around hot work and confined spaces is far stronger than one that lists "detail-oriented."
Use the numbers a shop calibrates on: first-pass weld acceptance rate, X-ray or radiographic reject rate, bend- and tensile-test pass rate, parts or joints completed per shift, scrap and rework rate, throughput improvement, positions and processes qualified (1G–6G, GMAW/GTAW/SMAW/FCAW), materials and thicknesses welded, deposition or arc-on time, and safety record (recordable incidents, days without an incident). "Welded structural assemblies to AWS D1.1 with a 99% first-pass X-ray acceptance rate" is far stronger than "responsible for welding parts."