Welding Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Welding Engineer jobs in Illinois are in steady demand, with active hiring concentrated in aerospace and defense manufacturing, heavy equipment production, automotive supply chain, and infrastructure fabrication from entry-level inspection roles through senior process and metallurgical engineering positions. Chicago, Rockford, and Peoria are the state's busiest hiring markets, anchored by long-established employers like Caterpillar, Boeing, and Illinois Tool Works. The most sought-after specialties in Illinois listings include structural weld process development, AWS-certified quality assurance, and robotic welding system integration. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Manufacturing Engineer I - Weld
Your Responsibilities
As a Weld & Assembly Manufacturing Engineer - Order Fulfillment Process (OFP), you will:
Investigate, gather, and analyze data for identifying root cause of welding issues in departments you support
Establish and maintain routings, pay standards, layouts, weld tooling, weldment costs, operator method sheets, and control plans
Identify and implement cost reduction, quality, safety, and ergonomic improvement ideas for welding operations
Work with PDM, SAP, MP Planner, and Creo to perform engineering functions
What Skills You Need
Experience or formal education in Engineering
Ability to effectively interact and communicate with union employees, peer Engineers and Supervisors.
General understanding of Creo, AutoCAD or other modeling software
Knowledge of engineering tools, systems, and databases (SAP, Kotem, etc.)
The ability to work off- shifts and weekends, as needed
What Makes You Stand Out
Experience or formal education in welding Engineering
Knowledge of manufacturing weld processes, tooling, and facilities
Experience programming and troubleshooting Fanuc robotics welding applications
Experience with line and process design, material presentation, and line balancing
Experience with Lincoln/Miller MIG welding equipment
Experience with Laser Welding
Experience with assembly mistake proofing tooling
Education
Ideally, you will have a degree or equivalent related work experience in the following:
Bachelor's Degree in an Engineering/Technology discipline with an emphasis in welding. On job work experience will also be considered in lieu of formal education.
Top 3 skillsets:
Welding knowledge (MIG or laser welding)
Fanuc robot / welding automation knowledge
Excellent communicator
Able to handle multiple issues at one time (time management skills)
Notes:
3rd shift: 9:30pm-6am is the normal 8hr shift. If scheduled overtime, it is on the front of the shift.
VIVA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants have an equal opportunity for placement, and all employees have an equal opportunity to develop on the job. This means that VIVA will not discriminate against any employee or qualified applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status
Manufacturing Engineer I - Weld
Your Responsibilities
As a Weld & Assembly Manufacturing Engineer - Order Fulfillment Process (OFP), you will:
Investigate, gather, and analyze data for identifying root cause of welding issues in departments you support
Establish and maintain routings, pay standards, layouts, weld tooling, weldment costs, operator method sheets, and control plans
Identify and implement cost reduction, quality, safety, and ergonomic improvement ideas for welding operations
Work with PDM, SAP, MP Planner, and Creo to perform engineering functions
What Skills You Need
Experience or formal education in Engineering
Ability to effectively interact and communicate with union employees, peer Engineers and Supervisors.
General understanding of Creo, AutoCAD or other modeling software
Knowledge of engineering tools, systems, and databases (SAP, Kotem, etc.)
The ability to work off- shifts and weekends, as needed
What Makes You Stand Out
Experience or formal education in welding Engineering
Knowledge of manufacturing weld processes, tooling, and facilities
Experience programming and troubleshooting Fanuc robotics welding applications
Experience with line and process design, material presentation, and line balancing
Experience with Lincoln/Miller MIG welding equipment
Experience with Laser Welding
Experience with assembly mistake proofing tooling
Education
Ideally, you will have a degree or equivalent related work experience in the following:
Bachelor's Degree in an Engineering/Technology discipline with an emphasis in welding. On job work experience will also be considered in lieu of formal education.
Top 3 skillsets:
Welding knowledge (MIG or laser welding)
Fanuc robot / welding automation knowledge
Excellent communicator
Able to handle multiple issues at one time (time management skills)
Notes:
3rd shift: 9:30pm-6am is the normal 8hr shift. If scheduled overtime, it is on the front of the shift.
VIVA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants have an equal opportunity for placement, and all employees have an equal opportunity to develop on the job. This means that VIVA will not discriminate against any employee or qualified applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status
See All 8 Welding Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Welding Engineer JobsWelding Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Welding Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Energy
- Automotive
- Manufacturing
- Construction & Real Estate
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in welding engineer jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in welding engineering, materials science, or mechanical engineering required
- AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng) credential strongly preferred by Illinois manufacturers
- Proficiency with weld process development for MIG, TIG, and submerged arc applications
- Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings and weld procedure specifications
- Familiarity with ASME, AWS D1.1, or military welding codes common in Illinois defense work
- Strong communication skills for coordinating with fabrication floor teams and quality departments
Welding Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a welding engineer in Illinois?
The standard Illinois path is a bachelor's degree in welding engineering or a closely related engineering discipline, followed by the AWS Certified Welding Engineer exam administered by the American Welding Society. Illinois does not issue a separate state license for welding engineers, so the CWEng credential is the primary professional marker employers recognize. Most candidates build foundational experience through internships with Illinois manufacturers before sitting for the exam.
How much do welding engineers make in Illinois?
Welding engineers in Illinois earn a median of about $126,620 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $71,780 for the lowest 10% to over $165,710 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire welding engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring welding engineers in Illinois right now include CB&I, Gotion, and ARI, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's deep base of aerospace, heavy equipment, and industrial manufacturing firms means demand is distributed across the state rather than concentrated in a single sector.
Which Illinois cities have the most welding engineer jobs?
Manteno, Plainfield, and Peoria account for the most welding engineer openings in Illinois. Chicago leads because of its dense concentration of aerospace suppliers, fabrication shops, and Fortune 500 industrial headquarters, while Rockford and Peoria reflect the large Caterpillar and precision-manufacturing ecosystems that have historically anchored those metros.
Are there remote welding engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're rare. Welding engineering is fundamentally a hands-on discipline involving process development, floor oversight, and weld inspection that requires physical presence. About 20% of welding engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those positions tend to involve standards writing, procedure documentation, or quality system auditing rather than active production support.
How can I get hired as a welding engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying to welding engineering associate or manufacturing engineering rotational programs at large Illinois employers such as Caterpillar or Illinois Tool Works, which regularly take new graduates into structured roles. Candidates from adjacent positions like weld inspector, quality technician, or manufacturing engineer have a clear lateral path. Earning an AWS Certified Welding Inspector credential before or during job searching gives Illinois applicants a concrete credential that compensates for limited professional experience.
Where can I find and apply to welding engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to welding engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 8 Welding Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Welding Engineer Jobs