ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Welding Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Karman Industries

Weld Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$100 - $130/hr

Develop, qualify, and optimize welding procedures (WPS/PQR) for GTAW, GMAW, and FCAW processes ... Partner with design engineers to review blueprints, joint designs, and weld symbols, ensuring ...

Terran Orbital Corporation

Sr. Weld Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$38.25 - $52.75/hr

Develop, optimize, and characterize resistance welding process windows using structured DOE ... Collaborate with Quality Engineering to establish pass/fail criteria across battery cell and module ...

previous page

Showing results 41-60

All JobsWelding Engineer JobsWelding Engineer Jobs in California

Welding Engineer information

See California salary details

$24

$41

$56

How much do welding engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average hourly pay for welding engineer in California is $41.07, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $33.94 and $46.73 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a welding engineer?

Welding engineers are professionals who specialize in the design, development, and implementation of welding processes used to join metals and other materials. They apply principles of engineering, materials science, and metallurgy to create safe, efficient, and cost-effective welding solutions. Their responsibilities often include selecting appropriate welding techniques, developing procedures, overseeing quality control, and troubleshooting welding problems. Welding engineers work in industries such as manufacturing, construction, automotive, aerospace, and energy. They play a critical role in ensuring the structural integrity and safety of welded products and structures.

What does a welding engineer do?

As a welding engineer, your job is to make recommendations on equipment for each project, create a plan for each construction job, demonstrate how to weld unusual materials together, and ensure the final product meets the client specifications. Welding engineers typically work in an industrial environment, and you may coordinate with suppliers, ensure designs are cost-effective, and communicate with project managers. Welding engineers are also responsible for ensuring safety guidelines are followed, researching new techniques and equipment, and providing documentation of the welding process. This job involves a significant amount of stooping, bending, and lifting, as well as the use of close, distance, peripheral, and color vision.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a welding engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Welding Engineer, you need a solid background in metallurgy, welding processes, materials science, and an engineering degree, often supplemented by certification such as a Certified Welding Engineer (CWE). Familiarity with CAD software, welding simulation tools, and industry standards like AWS or ASME codes is typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate technical information clearly help professionals excel in this role. These skills ensure weld quality, safety, and compliance with specifications, which are critical for successful engineering projects.

What are some typical challenges welding engineers face when working on complex fabrication projects?

Welding Engineers often encounter challenges such as selecting appropriate welding processes for diverse materials, ensuring weld quality meets strict standards, and troubleshooting unexpected defects during fabrication. They must also coordinate closely with design, production, and quality teams to resolve issues quickly and keep projects on schedule. Continuous learning about new welding technologies and adapting to evolving industry codes is also essential to overcome these challenges and ensure successful project outcomes.

What is the difference between Welding Engineer vs Welding Technician?

AspectWelding EngineerWelding Technician
CredentialsBachelor's degree in engineering, certifications like CWE or AWS Certified Welding EngineerTechnical diploma or associate degree, certifications like AWS Certified Welding Inspector or Technician
Work EnvironmentDesigning welding processes, overseeing quality, and ensuring standards in manufacturing or constructionPerforming welding operations, inspecting welds, and assisting in production
Industry UsageUsed in engineering design, quality assurance, and process developmentCommonly found in manufacturing, fabrication, and maintenance

Welding Engineers focus on designing and improving welding processes, ensuring quality, and applying engineering principles. Welding Technicians support these processes by performing welding tasks, inspecting welds, and maintaining equipment. Both roles are essential in manufacturing and construction, but Welding Engineers typically require more advanced education and focus on process development, while Welding Technicians are more hands-on with daily operations.

How much does a welding engineer get paid?

Welding engineers typically earn a median annual salary of around $70,000 to $100,000, depending on experience, location, and industry. Those with specialized skills, certifications, or working in high-demand sectors may earn higher wages and additional benefits.
More about Welding Engineer jobs

What are the most commonly searched types of Welding Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Welding Engineer jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Welding Engineer jobs in California?

For Welding Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Welding Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Welding Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Welding Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Welding Engineer job openings:

What are popular job titles related to Welding Engineer jobs in CA?

For Welding Engineer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Welding Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Welding Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, and 9% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $85,421 per year, or $41.1 per hour.

Welding Engineer (All Levels)

Impulse Space

Redondo Beach, CA • On-site

$115K - $205K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Re-posted 22 days ago

Job description

Description
As a 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 2026, 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.
Additional Note: Leveling will be commensurate with experience. 

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 
  • 2+ 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
  • 3+ years' of demonstrated hands-on welding experience of aluminum, nickel-based, stainless steel, titanium, and copper alloys.
  • 2+ 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.