Welder resume example. Plus the keywords recruiters search for.
A welder resume that leads with your certifications and processes, then shows the codes you weld to and how your welds pass inspection — with the keywords fabrication shops screen for.
Reviewed by Nazir Elmurodov · Updated
/ The example
Welder resume example.
Cody Jensen
Structural Welder
Tulsa, OK · cody.jensen@email.com · (918) 555-0153
Summary
Structural welder with 6 years in steel fabrication and production welding. I hold AWS Certified Welder qualifications from the American Welding Society in FCAW and SMAW, read shop drawings and weld symbols, and build parts that pass inspection.
Experience
Structural Welder, Red Fork Steel Fabricators · Mar 2021 – Present
- • Weld structural steel beams, columns and stair assemblies with FCAW and SMAW to AWS D1.1, following each welding procedure specification (WPS)
- • Kept the weld reject rate under 1% on ultrasonically tested complete joint penetration welds in 2025
- • Lay out, fit-up and tack assemblies from shop drawings with grinders, plasma cutters and magnetic drills, holding tolerances to 1/16 inch
- • Train 3 new welders a year on shop safety, fit-up and reading weld symbols
Production Welder, Prairie Ag Equipment · Jun 2019 – Feb 2021
- • Welded frames and brackets with GMAW on a production line building 40+ farm equipment units a week
- • Ran GTAW on stainless steel and aluminum parts for hydraulic tanks
- • Inspected welds visually and with fillet gauges, with no lost-time injuries in 2 years
Education & certifications
Welding Technology Certificate, Tulsa Tech, 2019 · American Welding Society (AWS) Certified Welder: FCAW and SMAW, structural steel (AWS D1.1) · OSHA 10-Hour General Industry (OSHA 10)
Skills
SMAW (stick welding) · FCAW · GMAW (MIG welding) · GTAW (TIG welding) · Structural steel · Blueprint reading · Weld symbols · Fit-up · Plasma cutting · Visual weld inspection
Cody Jensen
Structural Welder
cody.jensen@email.com · Tulsa, OK
(918) 555-0153
Summary
Structural welder with 6 years in steel fabrication and production welding. I hold AWS Certified Welder qualifications from the American Welding Society in FCAW and SMAW, read shop drawings and weld symbols, and build parts that pass inspection.
Experience
Structural Welder — Red Fork Steel Fabricators
Mar 2021 – Present
• Weld structural steel beams, columns and stair assemblies with FCAW and SMAW to AWS D1.1, following each welding procedure specification (WPS)
• Kept the weld reject rate under 1% on ultrasonically tested complete joint penetration welds in 2025
• Lay out, fit-up and tack assemblies from shop drawings with grinders, plasma cutters and magnetic drills, holding tolerances to 1/16 inch
• Train 3 new welders a year on shop safety, fit-up and reading weld symbols
Production Welder — Prairie Ag Equipment
Jun 2019 – Feb 2021
• Welded frames and brackets with GMAW on a production line building 40+ farm equipment units a week
• Ran GTAW on stainless steel and aluminum parts for hydraulic tanks
• Inspected welds visually and with fillet gauges, with no lost-time injuries in 2 years
Education
Tulsa Tech
Welding Technology Certificate · 2019
Certifications
American Welding Society (AWS) Certified Welder: FCAW and SMAW, structural steel (AWS D1.1)
OSHA 10-Hour General Industry (OSHA 10)
Skills
SMAW (stick welding), FCAW, GMAW (MIG welding), GTAW (TIG welding), Structural steel, Blueprint reading, Weld symbols, Fit-up, Plasma cutting, Visual weld inspection
Why it works
The certification is written with the full name of the American Welding Society, so no one mistakes it for a cloud credential, and it names the processes and code. Bullets show the code the welds meet, a reject rate on tested welds and the tolerances held.
Use this as your starting point
Opens in the editor with every section filled in. Swap in your own details and download a PDF or Word file free.
Start from this exampleSample resume. Names, companies and figures are illustrative.
/ Summary examples
Three summary examples. Pick the one closest to you.
Two or three lines: your level, your field and one result.
- Entry level
Welding technology graduate trained in SMAW, GMAW, FCAW and GTAW, with a 1G–3G plate test passed in school and 6 months as a fabrication helper.
- Experienced
Structural welder with 6 years and AWS Certified Welder qualifications in FCAW and SMAW. I weld to AWS D1.1 with a reject rate under 1% on tested welds.
- Lead / inspector
Lead welder and Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) who runs a shop crew of 8, writes weld procedures with engineering and handles third-party inspections.
More for other jobs and situations (no experience, career change, senior): resume summary examples.
/ Bullet points
Bullet point examples. From duty to result.
Turn duties into results: what you did, how, and what changed.
Quality
Instead of: Made good welds
Write: Kept the reject rate under 1% on ultrasonically tested complete joint penetration welds
Code
Instead of: Welded to code
Write: Weld structural steel with FCAW and SMAW to AWS D1.1, following each WPS
Fit-up
Instead of: Put parts together
Write: Fit up and tack assemblies from shop drawings, holding tolerances to 1/16 inch
Processes
Instead of: Can do TIG
Write: Ran GTAW on stainless steel and aluminum parts for hydraulic tanks
Production
Instead of: Worked on a production line
Write: Welded frames and brackets with GMAW on a line building 40+ units a week
Training
Instead of: Helped new hires
Write: Train 3 new welders a year on shop safety, fit-up and reading weld symbols
/ Keywords
Keywords and skills for welders.
These come up often in welder job posts. Include only the ones you can back up in an interview, and use the exact wording from the post you're applying to.
- AWS Certified Welder
- AWS D1.1
- SMAW
- GMAW
- FCAW
- GTAW
- Stick welding
- MIG welding
- TIG welding
- Structural steel
- Stainless steel
- Aluminum
- Blueprint reading
- Weld symbols
- WPS
- Fit-up
- Plasma cutting
- OSHA 10
/ ATS tips
ATS tips for welders.
Write out the American Welding Society
"AWS" also means a cloud platform. Write "American Welding Society (AWS) Certified Welder" once so a recruiter or parser can't confuse them.
List process, position and material
Say which processes you're certified in (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW), the positions you've tested in and the materials, like carbon steel, stainless or aluminum.
Name the code
AWS D1.1 for structural steel, API 1104 for pipelines or ASME Section IX for pressure work tells a shop what you're qualified for.
Show weld quality
Reject rates, X-ray or ultrasonic test results and tolerances held are the numbers inspectors and foremen care about.
Keep certifications current
Welder certifications usually need regular proof that you're still using the process. List only the ones that are active.
How does your welder resume compare?
Free ATS score, missing keywords and fixes in about 10 seconds.
/ Questions
Welder resume FAQ.
Writing the cover letter too? See Cody's cover letter, annotated
What's the AWS Certified Welder program?
It's the American Welding Society's performance-based certification. You weld a test at an AWS Accredited Test Facility, and to keep it active you send maintenance paperwork every six months showing you still use the process.
Is a company welder qualification the same as AWS certification?
Not exactly. Many employers qualify welders to their own procedures under a code, and those qualifications often stay with that employer. An AWS certification is recorded by the American Welding Society. List both clearly.
What does it take to become a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)?
The CWI is also from the American Welding Society. It requires work experience and a three-part exam — fundamentals, a hands-on practical, and an open-book code test.
Should I list welding positions like 3G and 4G?
Yes, for the tests you've passed. Positions tell a shop whether you can weld vertical and overhead, not just flat.
Do I need a welding school certificate?
It helps, but it's not the same as a welder certification. List school under education and your welding certifications separately.