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Welder Resume 2026 - structural and pipe welder sample with certifications free

Антон Литвинов
Антон Литвинов Founder, AI Resume Master
in 𝕏
Published: 25.09.2026 Updated: 25.09.2026

Welding is one of the few trades where the resume does not decide anything on its own. The weld test does. What the resume has to do is get you to the booth, and it does that by answering one question at the top of the page: which processes, in which positions, on what material and thickness, to which code. A shop foreman scanning a stack of PDFs is reading for GTAW root and FCAW fill, 6G pipe, D1.1, ASME Section IX, stainless and chrome. He is also reading for whether you are a structural welder or a pipe welder, because those are two different careers, and for whether you travel, because shutdown and turnaround work runs on people who will. Below is a full sample written the way welding shops and pipe contractors actually read them.

What you get

  • A complete pipe and structural welder resume sample
  • 3 PDF templates
  • A formula for writing processes, positions and codes
  • 6 mistakes that keep welders out of the test booth
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Ready sample

Welder resume sample

Processes and positions in the first block, code qualifications next, then the work: material, thickness, weld volume and reject rate.

Processes and positions before anything else

SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW, SAW - and the positions you are qualified in, written properly as 3G, 4G, 5G or 6G. This is the line that decides which test you get called for.

Code, not just the word certified

AWS D1.1 for structural steel, ASME Section IX for pressure work, API 1104 for pipelines. Name the code, the material and thickness range, and who held the qualification.

The test is the real interview

Everything above is a promise you have to keep in the booth. So keep it accurate - overstating a position or a process only wastes a coupon and burns the shop's time.

ATS friendly

Fabricators, refineries and industrial contractors screen through applicant tracking. One column, plain headings, process names written out in full as well as abbreviated, no graphics or tables.

Sample resume text

Use it as a reference: keep the structure and wording, put in your own facts and numbers.

Travis Boudreaux

Pipe Welder - GTAW, SMAW, FCAW
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
t.boudreaux.weld@example.com
(225) 555-0163
linkedin.com/in/example

Profile

Pipe Welder with 11 years in refinery, chemical plant and process piping work. GTAW root with SMAW and FCAW fill and cap; 2G, 5G and 6G; carbon steel, 304 and 316 stainless, 1 to 12 inch, schedule 10 through 80. Qualified to ASME Section IX and AWS D1.1. Radiographic reject rate under 2% across three turnarounds. TWIC card, available for travel, shutdowns and night shift.

Experience

Pipe Welder2019 - present

Delta Gulf Industrial Services, Baton Rouge, LA

  • Welded process piping across three refinery turnarounds, including a 26-day outage with roughly 310 joints at a 1.6% radiographic reject rate
  • Ran GTAW root with SMAW fill and cap on 2 to 12 inch carbon and 316 stainless, schedule 40 to 80, in 5G and 6G positions
  • Passed employer qualification tests to ASME Section IX first time on every attempt across four client procedures
  • Worked 7 day, 12 hour night shifts during outages and trained two helpers on fit-up and purge setup
Welder / Fabricator2015 - 2019

Ascension Steel and Tank Works, Gonzales, LA

  • Welded structural steel and tank sections to AWS D1.1, FCAW and SMAW on plate from 1/4 inch to 1 inch, positions 3G and 4G
  • Averaged 40 to 55 fabricated assemblies a week against shop drawings, with a visual inspection reject rate under 3%
  • Cut rework on a repeat skid assembly by roughly 20% after proposing a fit-up jig that held the flange alignment
Welder Helper / Fitter2014 - 2015

Ascension Steel and Tank Works, Gonzales, LA

  • Handled fit-up, bevelling, grinding and material staging for a four-welder bay
  • Tested into a welding position after nine months on the floor

Education

Baton Rouge Community College, Baton Rouge, LA2013 - 2014

Welding Technology certificate

Dutchtown High School, Geismar, LA2009 - 2013

High School Diploma

Skills

GTAW root, open and purgedSMAW E6010 root, E7018 fill and capFCAW gas-shielded on structural and heavy wallPipe positions 2G, 5G, 6GASME Section IX and AWS D1.1 code workCarbon steel, 304/316 stainless, chrome-molyReading WPS, isometrics and shop drawingsFit-up, bevelling, oxy-fuel and plasma cuttingPreheat and interpass temperature controlHot work permits, confined space, fire watch

Certifications and Qualifications

  • Welder performance qualifications to ASME Section IX - GTAW/SMAW, 6G, carbon and stainless, held with current employer
  • Welder performance qualification to AWS D1.1 - FCAW, 3G and 4G plate (previous employer, 2019)
  • TWIC card - current
  • OSHA 30-Hour Construction - 2023
  • Confined space entry, hot work and H2S awareness - 2024
  • Respirator fit test - 2025

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Profile

Welder profile summary

Three or four lines, dense with the things that get tested: years in the trade, structural or pipe, the processes you run daily, the positions you are qualified in, the materials, and the codes you have welded to. One number belongs here too, and the best one is a reject or repair rate.

Do not open with adjectives. A welding foreman has read 'hardworking, detail-oriented welder' a thousand times and it tells him nothing about whether you can run a TIG root on 6 inch schedule 80 uphill. Give him the spec sheet version of you and let the booth confirm it.

WeakExperienced welder with strong knowledge of welding techniques and safety procedures. Able to read blueprints and work well in a team. Seeking a challenging welding position.
StrongPipe Welder, 11 years in refinery and process piping. GTAW root with FCAW and SMAW fill and cap, 2G, 5G and 6G, carbon steel and 304/316 stainless from schedule 10 through schedule 80. Qualified to ASME Section IX and AWS D1.1, held a radiographic reject rate under 2% across three turnarounds. TWIC card, available for travel and shutdown work.
Tip
Write positions the way the codes write them. '6G' tells a pipe foreman you have welded a fixed 45 degree joint all the way around; 'all positions' tells him you might have read it somewhere.
Skills

Welding skills for a resume

Processes, positions, materials, prep and inspection. Every line is something a test coupon or an inspector can verify, which is exactly why it belongs here.

Hard skills

  • SMAW (stick) with E6010 root and E7018 fill and cap, uphill and downhill
  • GTAW (TIG) on carbon steel, stainless and aluminum, including open root and purged root passes
  • FCAW gas-shielded and self-shielded, and GMAW short circuit and spray transfer
  • SAW on heavy plate and vessel seams where the shop runs it
  • Plate positions 1G to 4G and fillet 1F to 4F; pipe positions 2G, 5G and 6G
  • Code work: AWS D1.1 structural steel, ASME Section IX for pressure piping and vessels, API 1104 for pipelines
  • Reading a WPS and welding to it: amperage and voltage range, travel speed, preheat and interpass temperature, filler and electrode classification
  • Materials: carbon steel, 304 and 316 stainless, chrome-moly, aluminum, and the filler selection each one needs
  • Fit-up and prep: bevelling, grinding, oxy-fuel and plasma cutting, tacking, alignment clamps, layout from isometrics and shop drawings
  • Inspection awareness: visual inspection criteria, PT, MT, UT and RT, bend tests, and how a weld gets rejected

Soft skills

  • Steady hands and steady temperament when the joint is overhead in a confined space
  • Owning a reject - stopping, cutting it out and rewelding rather than covering it
  • Working with the fitter so the joint is right before the arc is struck
  • Taking direction from the inspector without treating it as a personal insult
  • Living out of a bag for a turnaround without the work quality dropping in week three
  • Keeping a rig, leads and machine settings in order so you are not chasing porosity from your own setup
  • Watching out for the hot work permit, fire watch and gas test in an operating unit
  • Teaching a helper the fit-up and the prep, which is where most bad welds start
  • Reading a schedule and knowing when a joint has to be done tonight
  • Showing up sober, on time and ready to test, which sounds obvious and is not
Experience

How to write welding experience

Formula: the setting plus the process and position plus material and thickness plus a quality number. What separates a good welding resume from a bad one is that the good one could be used to write a WPS.

For shop work, give production numbers and reject rate. For field and turnaround work, give the plant type, the duration, the joint count and the radiographic or UT results. Keep confidential client names out if you have to, and name the industry and the scale instead.

Weak- Welded pipe and structural steel using various welding processes according to specifications.
Strong- Welded process piping during a 26-day refinery turnaround: GTAW root with SMAW fill and cap on 2 to 12 inch carbon and 316 stainless, schedule 40 to 80, 5G and 6G, roughly 310 joints with a 1.6% radiographic reject rate.
What to include
Industry and setting - processes and positions - material, diameter and schedule or plate thickness - code - joint or production counts - reject and repair rate - travel and shift pattern.
Education

Certifications and qualifications

For a welder this block outranks everything except the processes list, so it goes high on page one. Be precise about what you hold and who holds it: a welder performance qualification is normally issued and maintained by the employer whose procedure you tested to, and it stays live only while you keep welding that process and the continuity is documented. An AWS Certified Welder credential is a separate thing and travels with you.

  • Welder performance qualifications: the code, the process, the position, the material and the thickness range, plus who issued and maintains them
  • AWS Certified Welder credential if you hold one, with the code and test details
  • Any expired qualifications written honestly as expired, with the date - a foreman would rather know than find out in the booth
  • Technical training: welding school, community college welding program or an apprenticeship, with the processes taught
  • NCCER credentials where the contractor you are targeting uses them
  • TWIC card if you work ports, refineries or other regulated sites
  • Site safety training: OSHA 10 or 30, confined space entry, hot work and fire watch, respirator fit test, H2S awareness for oil and gas
  • Forklift, aerial lift, rigging and signalling certifications - fabrication shops value them more than applicants expect
  • High school diploma or GED
Careful
Do not write 'certified welder' without saying certified in what. It is the single most common line on a welding resume and the single least useful one. Process, position, code, material, thickness - that is a certification.
Entry level

Welder resume with no experience

Coming out of a welding program you have something most trades entrants do not: a measurable skill you can demonstrate in twenty minutes. The resume's job is to get you in front of a coupon. So it leads with the processes and positions you were trained and tested on, and treats the school work as work.

List the school's test results honestly, add photos or a portfolio of your weld coupons if you have them, and be willing to start as a fitter's helper, a grinder or a fabrication hand. Shops promote from inside the shop far more often than they hire off a stack of resumes, and everybody in the trade knows it.

  • Processes and positions you were trained and tested in during the program
  • School-administered plate or pipe tests you passed, with the position and material
  • Any code training your program covered, named accurately
  • Fabrication basics you can already do: grinding, bevelling, oxy-fuel and plasma cutting, fit-up, layout from a print
  • Safety cards you hold and a respirator fit test if you have had one
  • A weld portfolio - clear photos of your coupons, including a cut and etched sample
  • Physical work history with dates, because shops hire on reliability before they hire on skill

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Mistakes

Common mistakes

'Certified welder' with nothing behind it

Certified to which code, in which process, in which position, on what material and thickness? Without those five things the line is decoration and the foreman skips it.

'All positions' instead of the real ones

Positions have names because they mean specific things. 2G, 5G and 6G on pipe, 3G and 4G on plate. Writing 'all positions' reads like you are hoping nobody checks, and somebody always checks.

Overstating to get the test

A padded resume gets you one visit to the booth and a reputation in a small industry. Shops and contractors talk to each other, and a welder who wastes a test day is remembered.

No quality numbers

Reject rate, repair rate, radiographic pass rate, first-time pass on tests. This is the one trade where a hard quality figure is genuinely available, so leaving it out is throwing away the best line you have.

Nothing about travel or shift pattern

Turnarounds, shutdowns and field construction run on people who will travel and work nights. If you will, say it plainly, including how long you can stay out and whether you have your own rig or truck.

A designed template with the processes hidden

Skill bars, columns and icons push the processes into a graphic that a parser drops and a foreman does not trust. Plain text list, one column, no photo.

Takeaways

Takeaways

Remember

  • Processes and positions in the first block
  • Code, material and thickness named on every qualification
  • Structural or pipe - say which one you are
  • Reject and repair rate wherever you have it
  • Travel, shift pattern, TWIC and safety cards stated
  • Never claim a position you cannot weld in the booth
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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Processes and positions, then codes. Something like: GTAW, SMAW and FCAW; 2G, 5G and 6G on pipe, 3G and 4G on plate; carbon steel and 316 stainless, schedule 10 through 80; qualified to ASME Section IX and AWS D1.1. That block answers the only question a hiring foreman has before he decides whether to call you in for a test, and putting it anywhere lower means he may never reach it.
Five pieces each time: code, process, position, material, thickness range. Add who issued and maintains the qualification, because a welder performance qualification is usually held by the employer whose welding procedure you tested to, and it stays valid only while you keep welding that process and the continuity is documented. An AWS Certified Welder credential is separate and stays with you, so name it as such rather than blending the two.
They lapse rather than expiring on a fixed date in most cases. Codes generally treat a qualification as live while you continue to weld with that process and your employer records the continuity, which is why a qualification usually does not travel automatically when you change companies - the new employer retests you to their own procedure. Write the qualifications you have held and be upfront about which ones are current, then expect to test on arrival, because you will.
It should lead with one. Structural work is D1.1, plate and beam, fit-up to shop drawings and steel erection. Pipe is ASME or API, roots and purges, schedules and diameters, and usually field or refinery work. The processes overlap but the daily work, the tests and the employers do not. Lead with the side you are strongest in for that posting, keep the other underneath, and never let the page read as if you do a bit of everything.
Treat each turnaround as its own project line: the plant type, the duration in days, the unit or system, your processes and positions, the joint count and the inspection results. Add whether you worked days or nights and whether it was 6 or 7 day weeks. Contractors staffing a shutdown need to know you have done the pace before, because a welder who has never worked a 26-day outage often does not last one.
Yes, when it changes what work you can take. A rig welder with a truck and machine is applying for a different job than a shop hand, so say what you own and whether it is insured and road ready. In a shop context, list your hood, hand tools and whether you own a grinder set. Add your TWIC card, driving record and willingness to travel in the same block, because all of it affects whether you can be put to work this week.
Only ones you could defend in a conversation with the QC department. Radiographic or UT reject rate over a defined period, repair rate, first-time test pass record, joints completed on a named project, and production counts in a shop. Give the period or the project alongside the figure so it reads as a measurement rather than a boast. If your employer never shared the numbers with you, do not invent them - use joint counts and scope instead.
Yes - the sample above and every template on this page. You can build your own in the builder for free and see the finished layout; downloading the PDF is paid, by subscription or a one-time payment. The templates stay single column and parser safe, which matters because refineries, fabricators and industrial contractors run applicant tracking before a human opens the file.
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