Welding & fabrication recruiters serving Modesto.
Structural fabrication for North County Corridor's grade-separated rail structures and Sutter Health's facility is steady demand.
Two named projects, steady demand.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below.
We recruit across the full org chart for welding and fabrication contractors in Modesto against that documented context.
Two named projects, driving steady demand.
Named directly in the metro's own data.
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A new four-lane, access-controlled expressway with a new interchange at Roselle Avenue and grade-separated structures over the BNSF rail line - the named driver behind steady structural fabrication demand.
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A four-story, 165,000 sq ft facility on the Memorial Medical Center campus - cancer treatment, a 4-OR ambulatory surgery center, and 50+ outpatient exam rooms, and the named driver alongside North County Corridor.
What welding & fabrication roles pay in Modesto.
In the Modesto metro, BLS puts the median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $52,590 a year, in line with the $53,750 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Modesto ranks 62nd on pay. Most of the market sits between $42,850 and $75,670. Of the other field roles, fabrication supervisor pays the most locally, at a $77,690 median. BLS does not publish Modesto pay for structural metal fabricator / fitter, which it withholds where a metro's sample is too small to be reliable. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Welding & Fabrication Salary Guide.
| Role | Modesto median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welder / CutterWelders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (51-4121) | $52,590 | $42,850–$75,670 | $53,750 | −2% | 450 |
| Structural Iron and Steel WorkerStructural Iron and Steel Workers (47-2221) | $75,820 | $47,850–$129,460 | $62,780 | +21% | 100 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator / FitterStructural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (51-2041) | – | – | $51,330 | – | – |
| MachinistMachinists (51-4041) | $55,950 | $39,990–$75,390 | $58,750 | −5% | 140 |
| Fabrication SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (51-1011) | $77,690 | $49,020–$121,700 | $74,450 | +4% | 810 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Modesto 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 Modesto welding and fabrication hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why we name both North County Corridor and Sutter Health
The North County Corridor's grade-separated rail structures and the $380M Sutter Health Advanced Cancer Center are both named directly in the metro's own data as drivers of steady structural fabrication demand.
Why this pairs heavy-civil and healthcare demand
North County Corridor is heavy-civil bridge/grade-separation work; Sutter Health is healthcare-grade facility construction. We treat these as two distinct sourcing tracks, not a single undifferentiated pool.
What this means for sourcing
We source against structural fabrication experience relevant to both grade-separated bridge construction and healthcare-grade facility construction.
Realistic timelines
Steady demand across two concurrent named projects. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours.
The welding and fabrication positions we fill, most often.
Across all Modesto welding and fabrication clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Structural fabricator (rail-corridor bridge construction)
- Structural welder (healthcare facility construction)
- Standard shop welder
- Welding & fabrication project manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Modesto, see the Modesto 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 Modesto, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Modesto's welding and fabrication segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Modesto welding work, we also confirm whether the role sits on North County Corridor or the Sutter Health facility.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Modesto welding and fabrication candidate network, filtered for the right project scope.
- 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. We help with offer math against Modesto's documented 4-6% wage growth.
Modesto runs 14% fewer welding and fabrication workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep them.
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 Modesto's welding and fabrication market compares
In 2023 the Modesto metro had 7 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 Modesto metro had 8 structural metal fabricators (counted by business location), with about 215 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $73,053, in line with the national average of $74,756 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 7.3% 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 fell 11.1%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 1.4 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, Modesto ranks 89th for headcount, 53rd for median pay and 46th for concentration for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 7,850 | $56,160 | 0.47 | 84 |
| Riverside | 3,810 | $52,050 | 0.83 | 64 |
| San Diego | 2,940 | $62,560 | 0.71 | 30 |
| San Francisco | 1,990 | $64,320 | 0.31 | 36 |
| Sacramento | 1,530 | $57,290 | 0.53 | 21 |
| San Jose | 1,050 | $64,140 | 0.35 | 8 |
| Fresno | 950 | $50,550 | 0.74 | 8 |
| Bakersfield | 800 | $57,360 | 0.88 | 14 |
| Stockton | 740 | $51,480 | 0.96 | 10 |
| Modesto | 450 | $52,590 | 0.86 | 7 |
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 Modesto, the local pool is thinner than most, so plan on recruiting some roles in from outside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Modesto metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Modesto's welding & fabrication market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential structural steel contractors in Modesto rose from 6 in 2018 to 7 in 2023, up 17%, ahead of the 4% national rise. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. How many people those 7 locations employ is not published: with a category this small, BLS would effectively be reporting individual employers' payrolls. Modesto lost structural metal fabricators between 2018 and 2023, from 12 business locations to 8 (down 33%), behind the 13% growth nationally. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 215. Average annual pay there went from $69,162 to $73,053 (+6%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: business locations | 6 | 7 | +17% |
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: employment | 65 | – | – |
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: average annual pay | $63,018 | – | – |
| Structural metal fabricators: business locations | 12 | 8 | −33% |
| Structural metal fabricators: employment | 215 | 215 | +0% |
| Structural metal fabricators: average annual pay | $69,162 | $73,053 | +6% |
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 Modesto.
What are Modesto's named welding demand centers?
North County Corridor Phase 1 (a four-lane expressway with grade-separated structures over the BNSF rail line) and the $380M Sutter Health Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex.
Is welding and fabrication talent expensive to staff in Modesto?
The hub tracks 4-6% wage growth for this trade in Modesto, tied to the North County Corridor and Sutter Health construction.
What do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn in Modesto?
BLS puts the Modesto median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $52,590 a year, about the same as the $53,750 national median. That ranks 62nd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $42,850 and $75,670, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within California, San Francisco pays more, at $64,320.
Is it hard to hire welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Modesto?
It is about average. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers are as common in Modesto as they are nationally (location quotient 0.86), with about 450 in the metro. The 8 structural metal fabricators here average about 27 employees per location. With 17% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which welding & fabrication roles pay the most in Modesto?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fabrication Supervisor pays the most in Modesto, a $77,690 median. Welder / Cutter is the lowest-paid field role at $52,590. Relative to national pay, Structural Iron and Steel Worker is the strongest-paying role here (21% above). Machinist trails national pay the most (5% below).
How many nonresidential structural steel contractors operate in Modesto?
BLS counted 7 nonresidential structural steel contractors in Modesto in 2023. Up from 6 in 2018, a 17% 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 8 structural metal fabricators in Modesto in 2023, employing about 215 people between them. Down from 12 in 2018, a 33% decline against 13% growth nationally. That averages 27 people per location. They pay about the national average of $74,756.
Which nearby metros compete with Modesto for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Stockton (27 miles, about 740, $51,480 median), San Jose (53 miles, about 1,050, $64,140 median) and Sacramento (71 miles, about 1,530, $57,290 median). Stockton has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. San Jose pays 22% more, which is where Modesto employers tend to lose people.
Hiring welding & fabrication talent in Modesto?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.