Mississippi Shipyard Welding Careers: Paths, Pay, and Employers

Pascagoula alone employs thousands of welders across HII Ingalls Shipbuilding and Bollinger, and the tension for job seekers entering a welding career isn't whether shipyard work exists on the Gulf Coast, it's which door to walk through. Entry-level trainee slots start near $21 an hour with no experience required, while first-class pipe welders who pass military-grade weld tests can clear $50 an hour on the right shift.

That spread depends heavily on employer, specialty, and how many process certifications a welder carries going in.

Demand stays steady because naval contracts and oil platform fabrication run on multi-year schedules, but the hiring bar for skilled classifications is unforgiving: a bad weld coupon ends the interview before it starts.

Mississippi Shipyards and Dry Docks Hiring Welders

Mississippi's Gulf Coast shipyards and staffing agencies list welding openings from Pascagoula to Gulfport. The table below summarizes current employers, locations, hiring focus, typical welding roles, and hiring channels reported in recent job postings. Direct employers such as Ingalls Shipbuilding and Bollinger Shipyards post full-time positions, while staffing agencies often fill contract and travel pipe welding roles.

Typical Shipyard Welding Job Classifications and Experience Requirements

Shipyard Welding Jobs split roughly into two tracks: skilled classifications that expect proven weld-test performance and years of hands-on work, and entry-level helper or apprentice roles that will train a motivated worker with little or no prior welding experience. Understanding where you fall shapes which postings you should actually chase.

Skilled Welder Classifications

Mississippi yards do not share one naming system, so the same title can mean different things at different companies. These are the labels you will see most often.

• Welder A: Handles structural metal components on ships. Employers such as Bollinger in Pascagoula prefer welding experience or formal vocational training, and Mississippi job aggregations show typical experience in the 3 to 5+ year range.
• Structural Welder / 1st Class: At Huntington Ingalls in Pascagoula, this role requires a minimum of 3 years in FCAW and SMAW plus passing a military-spec assessment in the 3G, 2G, and 4G positions.¹ A Moss Point 1st Class posting sets the bar at 4 years of shipyard experience in FCAW and SMAW with tests in 3G, 4G, and 2G.²
• Pipe Welder: Focused on steel piping systems. Huntington Ingalls' Pipe Welder Semi-Skilled role expects graduation from a pipe welding program at a vo-tech school and a 6GR test with TIG root plus stick fill and cap, with no fixed years stated.³ A separate Marine Pipe Welder listing calls for a minimum of 3 years of pipe welding in a shipyard or industrial setting.
• Ship Fitter: Lays out, aligns, and tacks steel plate and structural sections so welders can complete the joints. Fitters work closely with welders and are often a stepping stone or parallel skilled trade.

Entry-Level and No-Experience Roles

Not every door requires years on the arc. Huntington Ingalls' Welder HA position asks for a minimum of 1 year in FCAW and SMAW but allows completion of a welding technical training certification program through Mississippi Welding Schools in lieu of experience.⁴ Helper and apprentice openings, including Shipyard Apprenticeship Programs, often need no prior welding at all, giving career-changers a way in.

Across classifications, expect to pass weld tests in vertical, horizontal, and overhead positions.⁵ Many yards also prefer a high school diploma or equivalent⁶ and value Welder Certifications such as ABS, AWS, or NCCER credentials.⁵

What Do Welders in Mississippi Earn Across the State?

This statewide snapshot combines all welding occupations in Mississippi, not just shipyard welders. In 2025, the median annual wage for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers was $51,100, with the middle 50 percent earning between $41,000 and $63,440. Shipyard pay can run higher depending on employer, specialty, and overtime.

Shipyard Welding Pay by Employer and Specialty in Mississippi

Pay for Mississippi shipyard welders varies by employer, specialty, and shift. HII entry-level welder postings start around $21.58 per hour, while first-class structural and pipe roles at Bollinger can reach $38.00 to $53.00 per hour depending on shift and specialty. Per diem appears in several Bollinger and staffing agency postings, ranging from $147.04 to $180.00 per day, and some pipe welder roles add a $1.00 per hour night shift differential.

Hiring Process: Direct Hire Vs. Staffing Agencies in Mississippi Shipyards

HII Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula and Bollinger Shipyards, also in Pascagoula, both fill welding jobs through direct applications and through staffing agencies running in parallel, so the same job order can show up on a shipyard's career site and on an agency's board at the same time.¹

Applying Direct

Direct hire means the shipyard is your employer from day one. The process typically runs through the company's own career portal: submit a resume and application, complete a screening interview, pass any required weld tests, and go through onboarding once an offer is made. HII Ingalls posts welding, pipefitting, electrical, fabrication, warehouse, logistics, and maintenance roles this way. Bollinger's direct postings cover marine trades, welding, ship repair, fabrication, maintenance, and warehouse positions.¹ Direct hire is generally permanent or long-term, and the shipyard handles your benefits, payroll, and workers' comp.

Working Through a Staffing Agency

Welder staffing companies such as Steadfast Employment in Flowood² and Hutco in Moss Point³ place welders on assignments that range from short-term temporary staffing for seasonal surges or absence coverage, to temp-to-hire arrangements that function as a probationary period before a shipyard extends a permanent offer. The agency, not the shipyard, is the legal employer during the assignment, meaning the agency manages payroll, benefits administration, workers' compensation, and compliance paperwork like TWIC verification.⁵ Because candidates are pre-screened and credentialed in advance, agency placement can move fast, sometimes hours to days for high-demand roles.⁴ Agencies commonly build a markup of roughly 35 to 75 percent over base worker pay into their billing rate to cover payroll taxes, insurance, and administrative overhead, so the shipyard's cost per hour is higher than what shows up on the welder's check.⁴

Weighing the Two Paths

Direct hire offers more stability, shipyard-paid benefits, and a clearer track for internal promotion, but the application process is slower and competition for open slots is heavier. Agency work trades some of that security for speed and volume: more openings, an easier entry point for welders newer to shipyard work, and a chance to prove yourself before a company commits to a permanent hire. Mississippi workforce guidance generally recommends applying directly to shipyards first, then widening the search through WIN Job Centers, MDES resources, and staffing firms if a direct offer does not come through quickly.⁶

Shipyard Welder Pay by Metro Area in Mississippi

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish separate metro-area welder pay figures for Mississippi in the current Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. The table below uses the statewide Mississippi benchmark as the closest available reference. Shipyard employment is concentrated in Gulf Coast metros such as Pascagoula and Gulfport, but their individual pay is not reported in this dataset.

Shipyard Welding Certifications and Weld Tests

Getting hired at a Mississippi shipyard rarely comes down to a resume alone: the deciding moment is a live weld test on a coupon, judged against military and industry standards. At yards like Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) in Pascagoula and Bollinger, the practical exam separates candidates who can talk about welding from those who can lay sound beads under inspection.

Test Positions You Should Expect

HII structural welder postings commonly call for qualification in the 3G SMAW Certification (vertical) and 4G SMAW Certification (overhead) positions, and welders are expected to work in all positions on the job.¹ Pipe roles raise the bar. HII pipe welder recruiting in Pascagoula references a restricted 6G Pipe Welding test (the fixed 45-degree pipe position that covers flat, vertical, and overhead in a single coupon), along with 3G, 2G, and 4G assessments.² Pipe tests may run on stainless steel and copper nickel, not just carbon steel, so practicing on the exact material family matters.²

Processes Evaluated

HII job listings reference SMAW, FCAW, GMAW, and GTAW.¹ In plain terms:

• SMAW (stick): Often tested all-positions for structural X-ray work.
• FCAW (flux-cored): Common for production structural welding.
• GTAW (TIG): Frequently required for pipe, especially thin-wall and exotic alloys.

Many welds are subject to nondestructive testing, so your coupon must pass more than a visual look. HII references visual, magnetic particle, ultrasonic, and radiographic inspection, meaning a bead that looks clean can still fail on the X-ray.³

Standards and How to Prepare

The military standard named most often in HII listings is MIL-STD-248⁴, and current or prior welding certificates that align with it are preferred.⁵ Naval vessel welding is governed by NAVSEA S9074-AQ-GIB-010/248, which is aligned with or exceeds AWS D1.1 and ASME Section IX.⁶ HII certification-required postings also value AWS-based training in SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, or FCAW. Bollinger's current welder test positions were not confirmed in available 2026 postings, though its Welding Quality Specialist role prefers a CWI and NDT Level II background⁷, which signals the inspection rigor you will weld to.

To prepare, drill the specific position and process for the role you want, run your coupons through visual and, if possible, X-ray checks, and pursue AWS or MIL-STD-248 aligned credentials so your paperwork matches the shop floor test.

TWIC Card, Drug Screening, and Background Checks

Before you can weld in a Mississippi shipyard, expect to clear several federal and employer-level screening steps. These requirements generally apply to both direct hires and workers placed through staffing agencies.

• TWIC card

  Most shipyard welders need a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) for unescorted access to secure maritime facilities. Apply online through the TSA TWIC program or an enrollment center run by Idemia, then complete in-person enrollment with fingerprints and a photo. The new-card fee is $125.25; the credential is valid for five years.
• Drug screening

  Mississippi shipyards and staffing agencies commonly require a pre-employment drug test and may conduct random testing. Panels typically include urine screening, and some contractors also use hair follicle testing. Exact panel and timing vary by employer.
• Background check

  You must pass a TSA security threat assessment for TWIC, which checks criminal history, immigration status, and terrorism-related records. Permanent disqualifiers include espionage, treason, terrorism, and murder. Interim disqualifiers such as certain firearm, fraud, smuggling, and controlled-substance offenses can also bar issuance if the conviction is within seven years or release within five years.
• Physical and fit-for-duty exam

  TSA does not require a physical for TWIC, but many shipyard employers add a pre-employment physical and may require a respirator fit test. Expect to demonstrate ability to lift 50 pounds, climb, and work in confined spaces; the exact standard is job-specific.

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How to Become a Shipyard Welder in Mississippi: Step-By-Step Path

Some welders spend a year in classroom training before touching a shipyard job. Others walk in with a GED, land a trainee slot, and learn FCAW and SMAW on the fit-up line while drawing a paycheck. Both roads lead to the same journeyman card, so the real question is how much structure you want before you start earning.

Step 1: Diploma or GED

Every shipyard employer in Mississippi requires a high school diploma or GED before you're eligible for even entry-level trainee roles. This is the non-negotiable floor.

Step 2: Training or Trainee Slot, Not Always Both

From here the path splits. You can complete a welding technical certification or trade class first, which several Pascagoula-area postings explicitly accept in place of prior work experience. Or you can skip formal school entirely and apply directly for a ship fitter trainee or pipe welder trainee opening¹, since these roles are built for beginners and provide hands-on instruction in fit-up, blueprint reading, and shipyard terminology on the job. Some trainee postings ask for a minimum of six months of welding or related technical training², so a short certificate program can shorten your wait rather than replace the trainee step altogether.

Step 3: Weld Tests

Regardless of route, you'll eventually face a positional weld test, typically covering 2G, 3G, and 4G, sometimes evaluated to a military or x-ray-quality standard. This test, not your resume, is usually what actually qualifies you for hire or advancement.

Step 4: TWIC Card and Screening

Before you can badge into a shipyard or dry dock, you'll need a Transportation Worker Identification Credential, along with a passed drug screen and background check. Start the TWIC application early since processing can take weeks.

Step 5: Apply and Get Hired

With training or trainee experience, a passed weld test, and TWIC in hand, you're ready to apply directly with employers or through a staffing agency that can hire welders for shipbuilding in Mississippi yards.

No-Experience Entry Points

If you have zero shipyard background, three doors are genuinely open to you: formal apprenticeship programs, staffing-agency helper roles that funnel into permanent positions, and direct trainee postings at yards like those in Pascagoula. Wage figures and experience requirements vary by employer and shift with the market, so treat any specific number as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. Structural fitter and advanced pipe welder roles still expect one to four years of experience³⁴, so trainee work is the realistic first rung, not a shortcut past it.

Mississippi Welding Schools and Training Programs

Which welding school in Mississippi actually prepares you for welding and fitting jobs? None of the state's programs run a dedicated "shipyard welding" track, but several combine the process training, industrial fabrication, and bevel pipe work that Ingalls, Halter, and the dry docks test for during hiring.

Community College Programs

• East Mississippi Community College: Offers Welding Technology as a two-semester technical certificate or four-semester Associate of Applied Science, with campuses in Scooba and the Golden Triangle. The program carries both AWS SENSE and NCCER certification, which shipyard recruiters recognize on sight.¹
• Southwest Mississippi Community College: Its Welding and Cutting Technology program in Summit runs 12 to 24 months, awarding either a certificate or an AAS. Students work toward NCCER Core, NCCER Level 1 and 2, and AWS SENSE Level 1 credentials along the way.²³
• Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College: Tied to the Haley Reeves Barbour Maritime Training Academy in Pascagoula, MGCCC offers a 24 to 48 month path toward an AAS in Occupational Education with a Maritime Technology concentration, built around 36 semester hours tied to shipyard apprenticeship credit.⁴

Apprenticeship and Shorter Options

The Ingalls Shipbuilding Apprentice School, based at the Pascagoula academy, runs a structured track worth 30 credits toward that MGCCC maritime degree, on top of paid on-the-job hours.⁴ Ingalls has also scaled up its virtual reality welding lab, which has now trained more than 1,000 welding trainees as of 2026, a sign of how much hiring volume the yard is pushing through right now.⁵

Elsewhere in the state, welding programs at colleges like Northeast Mississippi range from 30-week certificates⁶ to short 200 to 320 hour courses, some running as briefly as six months and others stretching to two years.⁷ Several of these list AWS SENSE Level I and II, plus NCCER Core, Welding, and Pipefitting credentials, as achievable outcomes, though not every course section is confirmed accredited, so ask the specific campus before enrolling.⁶

Choosing a Program

Pascagoula's designation as a postsecondary maritime training hub in 2026⁸ reflects the Gulf Coast's naval and shipbuilding demand, and it's worth weighing proximity to that corridor when picking a school. For the full, current list of Mississippi welding schools with contact details and program specifics, see the directory at /welding-schools/mississippi/.