How to Write a Welder Resume (With Skills, Examples, and Templates for 2025)
9/30/2025
Team Yotru
A welder’s work is tough. Your resume shouldn’t be.
If you’re searching for how to write a welder resume, this guide gives you clear steps, proven examples, and the exact skills hiring managers look for. We’ll cover beginner tips, ATS keyword tricks, advanced strategies for structural and pipe welders, and show you how to keep your resume short, sharp, and job-ready.
By the end, you’ll have a document that shows what you can do with steel, not just what you can type.
Why your welder resume matters
Welding jobs may seem all about skill with your hands. But before you pick up the torch, your resume has to pass two tests:
ATS scan – software that screens resumes for welding keywords.
Hiring manager scan – a foreman or recruiter who skims for experience, safety, and results.
If your resume is too vague or missing key skills, it gets skipped. If it’s too wordy, it gets tossed. You need balance: short, clear sentences, and keywords that fit naturally.
Step 1: Choose the right resume format
There are three formats that work well for welders:
- Reverse chronological – Best for experienced welders. Lists jobs from most recent backward.
- Functional/skills-based – Best for career changers or apprentices. Focuses on skills and training.
- Hybrid – A mix. Great if you have both strong skills and steady work history.
Tip: For most welders, reverse chronological works best. Employers want to see your last job first.
Step 2: Start with contact info
At the top of your welder resume:
- Full name
- City, State (no need for full address)
- Phone
- Email (professional, not nickname123@email.com)
- Optional: LinkedIn if updated
Keep it short.
Step 3: Write a strong summary or objective
This is 2–4 sentences that sets the tone of your welding resume. Think of it as your handshake on paper.
Example (experienced welder):
Certified welder with 7+ years in structural steel and pipe welding. Skilled in MIG, TIG, and SMAW with a proven record of reducing rework by 15% through quality inspections. OSHA certified with a clean safety record.
Example (entry-level welder):
Recent welding program graduate with training in MIG and TIG techniques. Completed 400+ hours of hands-on practice with blueprint reading and safety procedures. Looking to bring strong work ethic and precision to a full-time role.
Step 4: Highlight work experience with numbers
Don’t just list duties - after all you are welder. Do what you do best on your resume, show impact.
Resume Welder Format:
Job Title | Company | Dates
- [Action verb] + [skill/tool] + [result/metric]
Examples:
- Welded structural beams for commercial projects, completing 95% of welds on first inspection.
- Reduced machine downtime by 20% by performing preventive maintenance.
- Trained 4 apprentices on MIG safety procedures, improving team efficiency by 12%.
- Completed 100% of welding tasks within project deadlines for 3 years straight.
Numbers = proof. Employers love that.
Step 5: Add certifications
As a welder, you know certifications often decide who gets hired. List them clearly on your welding resume.
Top certifications for welders:
- AWS Certified Welder (CW)
- AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)
- Red Seal (Canada)
- OSHA Safety Certification
- Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS)
- Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW)
Format: Name – Organization – Date/Expiry
Step 6: Show education and training
- High school diploma or GED
- Trade school or technical program
- Apprenticeship (include hours if impressive)
Keep this short on your welding resume. Put certifications higher if you’re experienced.
Step 7: Add welding skills
Use both hard skills (tools, processes) and soft skills (teamwork, detail focus).
Hard skills (add ones you know):
- MIG, TIG, SMAW, FCAW
- Pipe welding
- Structural welding
- Blueprint reading
- Plasma cutting
- Fabrication and assembly
- Forklift operation
- Welding inspection
Soft skills:
- Safety awareness
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Physical stamina
Pro tip: Use the same wording as the job posting. If it says “pipe welding,” don’t just write “pipefitting.” It's important to match the keywords from the target job with your welder resume. The better the match, the better your chance of getting a call back.
Step 8: Keep it short and clean
- A welders' resume is best kept as a single page.
- Two pages only if you have 10+ years and big projects.
- Simple fonts like Arial or Calibri.
- Bold section titles.
- No photos, graphics, or fancy designs.
Extra Sections for a Welder Resume
- Projects: Example: “Assisted in bridge welding project, 500 tons of steel.”
- Awards: Example: “Employee of the Month for zero safety violations.”
- Volunteer work: Example: “Helped community build welding-based art installation.”
Also keep in mind, to list the new tech out there. You want to be new and relevant.
What’s new in welding tech
- Smart power sources: Synergic controls, pulsed GMAW, waveform shaping, and data logging to cut spatter and rework.
- Light automation: Cobots for repeat joints. Welders set fixtures, teach paths, tune parameters, and verify quality.
- Faster deposition: Tandem wire GMAW, high-deposition FCAW and SAW, and laser-arc hybrid for deeper penetration and speed.
- Pipe consistency: Orbital GTAW or GMAW heads and purge monitoring for clean stainless and alloy work.
- Training upgrades: AR and VR simulators tied to real code procedures for safer, faster skill building.
- Smarter QC: Phased array UT, TOFD, and digital radiography detect defects early and feed quality systems.
Call out if you can set up, run, and troubleshoot any of these. That is resume gold.
How to list processes and joints on a resume
- Processes: GMAW MIG, GTAW TIG, SMAW Stick, FCAW, SAW. Optional if true: CMT, pulsed GMAW, tandem wire, orbital TIG or MIG.
- Joints and positions: Fillet, groove, lap, corner, T-joint. Plate 1G to 4G and 1F to 4F. Pipe 1G, 2G, 5G, 6G. Say “6G qualified” if true.
- Materials and ranges: Carbon steel, stainless, aluminum. Add typical thickness, for example 1.6 to 12 mm plate or Sch 40 to 80 pipe.
- Equipment: Pulse programs, waveform control, positioners and rotators, purge setups, cobot teach pendants.
- Codes and tickets: AWS or CWB process quals, ASME IX, Red Seal, OSHA or WHMIS, CRAW if applicable.
Example bullets for your Welding Resume
- Set GMAW pulse on 3 mm 304 stainless and cut rework 18 percent.
- Qualified 6G SMAW and GTAW on carbon steel with 96 percent first-pass rate.
- Taught cobot path for a 150 piece run and raised throughput 22 percent with zero defects.
Mirror the wording in the posting and pair each skill with one result. That gets you past ATS and wins the foreman scan.
Example Welder Resume: Experienced Welder
Noah Smith | Toronto, ON | 226-555-0178 | nsmith@email.com
Summary
Welder with 8 years of MIG and TIG experience. Skilled in blueprint reading, structural steel, and aluminum welding. Proven record of 100% on-time project completion and zero safety violations.
Experience
Senior Welder | Craft & Jenkins Fabrication | 2017–2021
- Operated MIG welding tools to produce high-quality finished products.
- Trained 10+ new hires in safety, blueprint reading, and pipe welding.
- Cut downtime by 20% through better maintenance checks.
Welder | R.J Martin | 2013–2017
- Completed precision welding activities with 100% compliance to specs.
- Improved deliverable quality by 30% using new TIG methods.
- Followed safety standards, reducing incidents to zero over 4 years.
Education
Associate Degree in Welding Engineering Technology | SAIT | 2011–2013
Certifications
AWS Certified Welder – Expires 2026
OSHA Safety Training – Current
Skills
MIG, TIG, SMAW
Pipe welding, fabrication, plasma cutting
Blueprint reading, safety inspections
Example Welder Resume: Entry-Level Welder
Maria Lopez | Houston, TX | 713-555-1234 | mlopez@email.com
Objective
Recent welding graduate with 500+ hours of MIG and TIG practice. Strong understanding of blueprint reading and safety standards. Ready to contribute to fast-paced welding projects.
Training
- Welding Certificate | Houston Tech School | 2025
- Apprenticeship – 300 hours field practice
Projects
- Built sample structures with MIG welds inspected at 95% pass rate.
- Assisted in repairing 12 industrial machines.
Certifications
AWS Certified Welder – 2025
Forklift Safety Certificate
Skills
MIG, TIG, plasma cutting
Safety procedures, blueprint reading
Team collaboration
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing “responsible for” instead of action verbs.
- Listing every tool you’ve ever touched. Keep it relevant.
- Forgetting numbers.
- Sending in Word format when PDF is requested.
- Spelling mistakes. They signal carelessness.
Bringing it all together with Yotru
Writing your own resume can feel like grinding metal with no safety shield. That’s where Yotru Resume Builder comes in.
With Yotru you can:
- Use welder-focused templates that pass ATS scans.
- Drop in your skills and get auto-suggested bullet points with metrics.
- Add certifications in seconds.
- Export a clean, one-page PDF ready for hiring managers.
Stop stressing over margins and formatting. Yotru shapes your skills into a resume that lands interviews.