Welding & fabrication recruiters serving Memphis.
Structural fabrication for FedEx's sorting-facility buildout is steady demand. Standard commercial and shop welding tracks close to national average.
The world's largest air-cargo hub, still modernizing.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: the FedEx "Hercules" sorting facility and World Hub overhaul as the drivers of structural fabrication demand.
We recruit across the full org chart for welding and fabrication contractors in Memphis against that documented context.
Two named FedEx drivers, one shared corridor.
Both named directly in the metro's own data.
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A 5-story, 1.6M sq ft automated small-package sorting facility at Memphis International Airport - the named driver behind structural fabrication demand.
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FedEx's broader modernization of the largest air-cargo hub in the world - sustained materials-handling electrical, structural, and industrial mechanical demand across multiple concurrent projects.
What welding & fabrication roles pay in Memphis.
In the Memphis metro, BLS puts the median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $48,600 a year, 10% below the $53,750 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Memphis ranks 101st on pay. Most of the market sits between $38,620 and $65,280. Of the other field roles, fabrication supervisor pays the most locally, at a $65,990 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Welding & Fabrication Salary Guide.
| Role | Memphis median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welder / CutterWelders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (51-4121) | $48,600 | $38,620–$65,280 | $53,750 | −10% | 1,590 |
| Structural Iron and Steel WorkerStructural Iron and Steel Workers (47-2221) | $50,390 | $36,340–$71,140 | $62,780 | −20% | 240 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator / FitterStructural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (51-2041) | $52,290 | $35,200–$71,390 | $51,330 | +2% | 390 |
| MachinistMachinists (51-4041) | $59,220 | $39,630–$74,340 | $58,750 | +1% | 1,050 |
| Fabrication SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (51-1011) | $65,990 | $42,550–$109,380 | $74,450 | −11% | 2,910 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Memphis metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile. Headcount is shown for field occupations only; management, estimating and supervisory codes are counted across every industry in the metro.
What candidates expect. What credentials matter. What kills offers.
We don't tell prospective clients who their competitors are hiring - that's a discipline our clients value, and we'll honor it on a call. What we will share publicly: how Memphis welding and fabrication hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why we name both FedEx projects specifically
Both are named directly in the metro's own data as the drivers behind steady structural fabrication demand tied to FedEx's sorting-facility buildout.
Why "tracks close to national average" for standard welding is honest context here
The hub is explicit that standard commercial and shop welding tracks close to national average, distinguishing it from the FedEx-driven structural niche - a real distinction, not a blanket claim.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified structural fabrication experience for the FedEx-adjacent roles, and standard commercial/shop welding experience everywhere else.
Realistic timelines
Standard commercial/shop welding roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer - tracking close to national average. FedEx-adjacent structural roles run on the project's phased schedule. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The welding and fabrication positions we fill, most often.
Across all Memphis welding and fabrication clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Structural welder ("Hercules" sorting facility)
- Structural fabricator (FedEx World Hub overhaul)
- Standard commercial/shop welder
- Welding & fabrication project manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Memphis, see the Memphis metro overview. To learn more about welding and fabrication generally (across all 100+ markets we serve), see our Welding & Fabrication industry page.
How we recruit welding & fabrication in Memphis, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Memphis's welding and fabrication segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Memphis welding work, we also confirm whether the role is FedEx-adjacent structural or standard commercial/shop scope.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Memphis welding and fabrication candidate network, filtered for verified structural fabrication experience where relevant.
- Vetted short list (week one to several weeks). Three to five candidates. We verify real welding history and certifications rather than a line on a resume.
- Offer and close. Standard roles close in 4-6 weeks. We help with offer math against Memphis's documented general context.
Memphis sits at about the national rate for welding and fabrication — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Memphis's welding and fabrication market compares
In 2023 the Memphis metro had 17 nonresidential structural steel contractors (counted by business location). BLS publishes that count but withholds headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. That works out to 1.3 per 100,000 residents, close to the 1.2 national rate.
In 2023 the Memphis metro had 20 structural metal fabricators (counted by business location), with about 401 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $77,106, 3.1% above the national average of $74,756 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 4.8% over the year even as it grew 4.3% nationally, which usually means people leaving the trade or moving to other markets rather than a lack of work. The number of these employers rose 5.3%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 1.5 per 100,000 residents against 1.1 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Memphis ranks 47th for headcount, 90th for median pay and 33rd for concentration for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 2,590 | $49,460 | 0.88 | 32 |
| Chattanooga | 1,850 | $49,220 | 2.57 | 10 |
| Knoxville | 1,780 | $48,040 | 1.56 | 12 |
| Memphis | 1,590 | $48,600 | 0.97 | 17 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For welding and fabrication employers in Memphis, the pool is about the national norm for its size, so difficulty depends on the role more than the market.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Memphis metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Memphis's welding & fabrication market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential structural steel contractors in Memphis rose from 14 in 2018 to 17 in 2023, up 21%, ahead of the 4% national rise. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work. The number of structural metal fabricators in Memphis rose from 13 in 2018 to 20 in 2023, up 54%, ahead of the 13% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 47%, to about 401 people. Average annual pay there went from $61,991 to $77,106 (+24%), in step with the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: business locations | 14 | 17 | +21% |
| Structural metal fabricators: business locations | 13 | 20 | +54% |
| Structural metal fabricators: employment | 272 | 401 | +47% |
| Structural metal fabricators: average annual pay | $61,991 | $77,106 | +24% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Frequently asked — welding & fabrication hiring in Memphis.
What are Memphis's named welding demand centers?
The $400M FedEx "Hercules" sorting facility and the ~$1B FedEx Memphis World Hub overhaul - both named directly in the metro's own data as drivers of structural fabrication demand.
Is welding and fabrication talent expensive to staff in Memphis?
Standard commercial and shop welding tracks close to national average here. Structural fabrication for FedEx's sorting-facility buildout is steady demand above that baseline.
What do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn in Memphis?
BLS puts the Memphis median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $48,600 a year, 10% below the $53,750 national median. That ranks 101st of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $38,620 and $65,280, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Tennessee metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Memphis?
It is about average. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers are as common in Memphis as they are nationally (location quotient 0.97), with about 1,590 in the metro. The 20 structural metal fabricators here average about 20 employees per location. With 21% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which welding & fabrication roles pay the most in Memphis?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fabrication Supervisor pays the most in Memphis, a $65,990 median. Welder / Cutter is the lowest-paid field role at $48,600. Structural Iron and Steel Worker trails national pay the most (20% below).
How many nonresidential structural steel contractors operate in Memphis?
BLS counted 17 nonresidential structural steel contractors in Memphis in 2023. Up from 14 in 2018, a 21% increase against 4% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers. BLS counted 20 structural metal fabricators in Memphis in 2023, employing about 401 people between them. Up from 13 in 2018, a 54% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 20 people per location. They pay an average of $77,106, 3% above the $74,756 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Memphis for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Little Rock (130 miles, about 1,190, $47,440 median), Nashville (196 miles, about 2,590, $49,460 median) and Huntsville (198 miles, about 1,810, $44,020 median). Nashville has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Memphis out-pays Huntsville, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Hiring welding & fabrication talent in Memphis?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.