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Friction Stir Welding Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Impulse Space

Principal Welding Engineer

Redondo Beach, CA · On-site

$190K - $225K/yr

Develop, optimize, and qualify weld processes and parameters for multiple welding processes including but not limited to: laser beam welding, friction stir welding, gas tungsten arc welding, orbital ...

Impulse Space

Principal Welding Engineer

Redondo Beach, CA · On-site

$37.75 - $52.25/hr

As a Principal Weld Engineer at Impulse you will help develop, qualify and optimize welding designs and processes with both laser beam, gas tungsten arc welding, friction stir welding, and orbital ...

Impulse Space

Principal Welding Engineer

Redondo Beach, CA · On-site

$190K - $225K/yr

Description As a Principal Weld Engineer at Impulse you will help develop, qualify and optimize welding designs and processes with both laser beam, gas tungsten arc welding, friction stir welding ...

Taber Extrusions

Training & EHS Coordinator

Gulfport, MS · On-site

$50 - $80/hr

Extrusion, Cast House, Fabrication, Friction Stir Welding and Micro Extrusion. Taber has continued to make ongoing investments in their value-added capabilities by recently expanding their ...

New

HADRIAN

Welding Engineer, Capabilities

Torrance, CA

$120K - $250K/yr

Laser beam welding, gas tungsten arc welding, orbital tube welding, resistance welding, gas metal arc welding, friction stir welding, or plasma arc welding * High-strength steel, stainless steel ...

HADRIAN

Welding Engineer, Capabilities

Torrance, CA · On-site

$120K - $250K/yr

Laser beam welding, gas tungsten arc welding, orbital tube welding, resistance welding, gas metal arc welding, friction stir welding, or plasma arc welding * High-strength steel, stainless steel ...

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How much do friction stir welding jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 4, 2026, the average hourly pay for friction stir welding in the United States is $41.61, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $34.38 and $47.36 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is friction stir welding?

A Friction Stir Welding (FSW) job involves operating specialized equipment to join metal parts using a solid-state welding process. Workers in this field set up and monitor FSW machines, ensuring proper weld quality and consistency. They may also inspect materials, adjust parameters, and perform maintenance on equipment. FSW is commonly used in industries like aerospace, automotive, and shipbuilding due to its strength and efficiency.

What skills and qualifications are needed for friction stir welding?

To excel in Friction Stir Welding, you need a solid understanding of metallurgy, welding principles, and hands-on skills in machine operation, often backed by technical training or a welding certification. Experience with CNC machines, specialized FSW equipment, and quality assurance protocols is commonly expected. Attention to detail, problem-solving, and effective teamwork are highly valued soft skills in this role. These qualities are crucial for ensuring precise welds, maintaining workplace safety, and meeting production or engineering specifications.

What are the typical daily responsibilities for someone working in friction stir welding?

Professionals in Friction Stir Welding typically spend their days setting up and operating FSW machines, preparing materials, monitoring the welding process, and performing post-weld inspections to ensure quality standards are met. They often work closely with engineers, quality control teams, and other welders to resolve technical issues and optimize welding parameters. Documentation of welding procedures and results is also a key part of the job, ensuring traceability and compliance with industry standards. This collaborative and detail-oriented environment provides opportunities to develop advanced technical skills and contribute to innovative manufacturing projects.

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Friction Stir Welding jobs near you
Infographic showing various Friction Stir Welding job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 91% Full Time, 3% Part Time, 1% Contract, and 4% Nights. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $86,554 per year, or $41.6 per hour.

Principal Welding Engineer

Impulse Space

Redondo Beach, CA • On-site

$190K - $225K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Re-posted 25 days ago

Job description

Principal Welding Engineer
Department: Manufacturing
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Redondo Beach
Compensation: $190,000 - $225,000 / year
Description
As a Principal Weld Engineer at Impulse you will help develop, qualify and optimize welding designs and processes with both laser beam, gas tungsten arc welding, friction stir welding, and orbital tube welding. This role will integral to performing weld developments on Helios' main structural tank, Deneb's thrust chamber and preburner assemblies, and valve components across all of our vehicles. The welding engineer in this role will interface daily with design and manufacturing engineers to make welding judgment calls and improvements and will enforce standardized practices and procedures on multiple welded assemblies.
Helios is Impulse's new vehicle, a 3rd stage/kick stage. Launching in 2027, it is designed to take satellites & payloads to GEO for 1/3rd of today's current cost. Deneb is Impulse's 15k lb thrust lox methane staged combustion engine.
Responsibilities
  • Develop, optimize, and qualify weld processes and parameters for multiple welding processes including but not limited to: laser beam welding, friction stir welding, gas tungsten arc welding, orbital tube welding.
  • Work closely with design, tooling, automation, and development engineers to improve welded designs for manufacturing
  • Develop and implement improved process control where possible using test and NDE results as feedback loop
  • Support production operations on full scale welded assemblies, providing direction to manufacturing engineers and welders on correct techniques in a fast paced manufacturing environment
  • Support on-site manufacturing and development of Helios tank, Deneb engine weldments, and Mira components.
  • Set up welding qualification test campaigns and interpret mechanical testing and NDE results
  • Work closely with NDE personnel to interpret weld quality on development and flight hardware in addition to developing and implementing innovative state-of-the-art NDE techniques
  • Set up automated welding solutions in an effort to drive process consistency
  • Scope out new welding technologies that may be employed to improve rate/quality/efficiency
  • Support design, manufacturing, and materials engineering with root cause analysis

Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline or related field
  • 10+ years of experience with hands-on fabrication, manufacturing, or testing experience of welded assemblies

Preferred Skills and Experience
  • Master's degree in welding engineering or related technical program
  • 8+ years' of demonstrated hands-on welding experience of aluminum, nickel-based, stainless steel, titanium, and copper alloys.
  • 8+ years' of demonstrated experience with brazing, joining, and metallographic interpretation
  • Fundamental understanding of welding processes including, but not limited to, laser beam, friction stir, gas tungsten arc, gas metal arc, electron beam, plasma arc, and resistance welding
  • Robot programming experience for automated welding solutions
  • Tooling design experience for welded assemblies to reduce part distortion and improve part consistency
  • Understanding of weld strength testing methodologies, standards, and data acquisition systems used to make informed welding decisions (ASTM E8, E399, E740, ISO 15653, AWS D17.X, AWS C7.X, thermos-couples, strain gages, etc.)
  • Experience with root cause analysis and corrective actions including, but not limited to, optical and SEM fractography/metallography, hardness, chemical analysis, and mechanical testing
  • Self-motivated, driven and high attention to detail

Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space's spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

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