Welder resume summary examples
Entry level
Welding program graduate with 900 hours of hands-on training in SMAW, GMAW, FCAW and GTAW on plate and pipe. Earned AWS Certified Welder status in SMAW 3G and 4G plate to AWS D1.1 at the school's Accredited Test Facility and holds an OSHA 10-Hour Construction card. Ready to start as a fabrication welder or welder helper and grow toward pipe work.
Experienced
Combination pipe welder with 12 years of experience on refinery, power and petrochemical projects, qualified to ASME Section IX on 6G carbon and stainless steel pipe. Keeps a radiographic reject rate below 2% on critical piping and leads crews of 4 to 6 welders and fitters during shutdowns. Works strictly to the WPS, with careful preheat and interpass control and complete weld maps.
Career changer
Former auto body technician moving into structural welding, with 6 years of MIG welding, metal cutting and panel fabrication. Completed a 9-month welding certificate and earned AWS Certified Welder status in FCAW to AWS D1.1. Brings careful fit-up, strong safety habits and experience working from repair specifications.
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Welder resume bullet points you can adapt
Strong bullets start with an action verb and end with a result. Swap in your own numbers.
- Welded beams, columns and moment connections to AWS D1.1 using SMAW and FCAW, averaging 40+ linear feet of welds per shift.
- Kept a weld repair rate under 1% on welds checked by ultrasonic and visual inspection over 3 years.
- Passed radiographic testing on 48 of 48 sampled production pipe welds during a 6-week refinery turnaround.
- Welded carbon steel process piping from 2 to 12 inches with GTAW roots and SMAW fill and cap passes.
- Read shop drawings and AWS welding symbols to fit assemblies within 1/16 inch before welding.
- Cut and beveled plate and pipe with plasma, track torch and oxy-fuel equipment.
- Trained 4 apprentices on machine setup, preheat checks and interpass cleaning, and all 4 passed their first D1.1 bend tests.
- Set up each joint from the welding procedure specification (WPS), checking amperage, preheat and electrode type before striking an arc.
- Logged rod oven temperatures each shift to keep low-hydrogen electrodes within storage requirements.
- Worked 4 years with zero lost-time incidents while following hot work permits, fire watch and confined space rules.
- Fabricated 300+ handrail, stair and platform sections for a plant expansion, finishing 2 weeks ahead of schedule.
- Repaired cracked equipment frames and worn buckets with SMAW and hardfacing, returning most machines to service within one shift.
- Checked crew welds visually before QC hold points, reducing inspector callbacks by 30%.
- Maintained welding machines, leads, grinders and torches, keeping crew equipment downtime under 1 hour per week.
Best skills for a welder resume
| Hard skills | Soft skills |
|---|---|
| SMAW (stick) | Attention to detail |
| FCAW (flux core) | Steady focus |
| GTAW (TIG) | Safety awareness |
| GMAW (MIG) | Problem solving |
| AWS D1.1 structural welding | Teamwork |
| Pipe welding (6G) | Reliability |
| Blueprint and welding symbol reading | Physical stamina |
| Fit-up and tacking | |
| Plasma and oxy-fuel cutting | |
| Grinding and beveling | |
| Visual weld inspection | |
| Welding procedure specifications (WPS) |
Match these to the job posting before you apply. The ATS keyword checker shows which terms from a posting your resume is missing, and the skills guide covers how to list them.
Tips for writing a welder resume
List each certification by code, process and position
A welding certification is specific, so write it that way, such as 'AWS Certified Welder, AWS D1.1, SMAW 3G and 4G plate, unlimited thickness.' Supervisors compare those details with the work they need done. List pipe qualifications separately with the code, position and process, such as ASME Section IX 6G.
Keep certifications current
AWS Certified Welder status stays active only when you submit a maintenance form on schedule, every six months for most codes, confirming you are still welding with that process. List current certifications, or mark older ones as lapsed. If you are unsure of your status, check with AWS before you apply.
Prove quality with inspection results
Repair rates and X-ray or ultrasonic pass rates prove your quality better than any adjective. Use numbers you can back up, such as '48 of 48 sampled welds passed radiographic testing.' Credit crew results honestly.
Name your materials, thicknesses and positions
Write what you have welded: carbon steel, stainless or aluminum, sheet, plate or pipe, and in which positions. A structural shop, a pipe contractor and a manufacturing plant look for different things, so tailor this section to each posting.
Include safety training and your record
OSHA 10-Hour or 30-Hour cards and training in hot work, confined space and fall protection are worth listing, especially for construction and plant work. Add your safety record if it is strong, such as years without a lost-time incident.
New welders: show school hours and tests
List your welding program, total hands-on hours, processes learned and any bend tests or AWS certifications you earned in school. Add related work like farm repair, auto body or fabrication projects. The entry-level summary on this page shows one way to frame it.