Aerospace welder career.
Aerospace welding pays more than structural or fabrication for one reason: the consequences. Every weld is X-rayed, every cert is current, every welder has a personal stamp.
AWS D17.1 is the gate
The aerospace welding standard is AWS D17.1 (fusion welding) and AWS D17.2 (resistance welding). Most aerospace welder jobs require D17.1 + at least one year of supervised aerospace experience.
The cert itself isn't dramatically harder than D1.1, but the testing is more rigorous: tighter geometry tolerances, higher NDT pass rates required (often 100% radiographic), and most shops require recurring requalification every 6 months instead of annually.
Most welders don't start in aerospace. They get D1.1 + a few position certs in structural or fabrication, then transition into aerospace via a Tier 1 supplier (Spirit AeroSystems, GKN, Triumph Group) before moving to a prime (Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop, Raytheon, GE Aerospace).
Security clearance is the second gate
Defense aerospace work — F-35, B-21, NGAD, hypersonics, submarines — requires a Secret or Top Secret clearance. Process:
1. Get hired by a cleared contractor. 2. They sponsor you for a clearance investigation (SF-86 form, background interviews, financial review). 3. 6–18 months later you have a Secret. Top Secret can take 12–24 months.
Once you have it: a cleared welder makes $10–$30/hr more than an uncleared welder doing the same work, and you can pick which programs to work on. Clearance is portable between contractors — it's the single highest-ROI investment for a aerospace welder career.
Where the work is
**Primes (most jobs, most stability):** - Lockheed Martin — Fort Worth (F-35), Marietta GA (C-130, F-22), Palmdale CA (Skunk Works) - Boeing — Seattle/Renton (737, 787), St. Louis (F/A-18, T-7), El Segundo CA (defense space) - Northrop Grumman — Palmdale CA (B-21, B-2), Melbourne FL (RQ-4) - Raytheon (RTX) — Tucson AZ (missiles), McKinney TX (Patriot) - GE Aerospace — Cincinnati, Wilmington NC, Hooksett NH
**Tier 1 suppliers (easier entry):** - Spirit AeroSystems (Wichita KS) - GKN Aerospace (St. Louis, Tallassee AL, Cromwell CT) - Triumph Group (Berwyn PA, multiple US plants)
**New space:** - SpaceX (Hawthorne CA, McGregor TX, Brownsville TX, Starbase) - Blue Origin (Kent WA, Huntsville AL, Cape Canaveral FL) - Rocket Lab (Long Beach CA, Wallops VA)
Frequently asked
- How much do aerospace welders make?
- Aerospace welders typically earn $35–$70/hr depending on certification depth, security clearance, and shop. Tier 1 suppliers (Spirit, GKN, Triumph) start at $30–$45/hr. Primes (Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop) pay $45–$70/hr for cleared journeymen. Specialty programs (F-35, B-21) pay top of range.
- Do aerospace welders need a security clearance?
- Defense aerospace work (F-35, B-21, submarines, hypersonics) requires at minimum a Secret clearance. Commercial aerospace (Boeing 737, 787, GE engines) doesn't always require clearance but cleared welders earn $10–$30/hr more and have more program options.
- What's the difference between D1.1 and D17.1?
- D1.1 is for structural steel — bridges, buildings, towers. D17.1 is the aerospace fusion welding standard with tighter geometry, near-100% NDT pass rates required, and shorter requalification cycles. Most aerospace shops require D17.1 specifically, not just D1.1.
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