Welding & fabrication recruiters serving San Antonio.
Toyota's truck plant and its on-site supplier park keep industrial welders busy, and the CPS Energy grid and generation program adds structural and pipe welding work. Downtown, Project Marvel will drive structural steel demand once vertical construction begins.
Two current drivers, one on the horizon.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: Toyota's supplier park and CPS Energy's grid program as current drivers, with Project Marvel's structural-steel demand still ahead once vertical construction begins.
We recruit across the full org chart for welding and fabrication contractors in San Antonio against that documented context.
Three named drivers, at three different stages.
All three named directly in the metro's own data.
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The South Side truck plant and its on-site supplier park - the named driver behind industrial welding demand, tight across the region.
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Municipal utility generation, substation, and grid-hardening work - the named driver behind structural and pipe welding demand, pulling from the regional pool.
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A downtown arena and entertainment district that will drive structural steel fabrication and erection once vertical construction begins - a named, near-term driver still in the planning phase.
What welding & fabrication roles pay in San Antonio.
In the San Antonio metro, BLS puts the median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $48,220 a year, 10% below the $53,750 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, San Antonio ranks 104th on pay. The range runs from $38,230 at the 10th percentile to $73,800 at the 90th, so experience is priced well above the middle of the market. Of the other field roles, fabrication supervisor pays the most locally, at a $70,500 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Welding & Fabrication Salary Guide.
| Role | San Antonio median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welder / CutterWelders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (51-4121) | $48,220 | $38,230–$73,800 | $53,750 | −10% | 2,510 |
| Structural Iron and Steel WorkerStructural Iron and Steel Workers (47-2221) | $50,120 | $40,580–$71,290 | $62,780 | −20% | 510 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator / FitterStructural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (51-2041) | $49,020 | $40,130–$75,420 | $51,330 | −5% | 160 |
| MachinistMachinists (51-4041) | $53,190 | $37,660–$84,130 | $58,750 | −9% | 750 |
| Fabrication SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (51-1011) | $70,500 | $42,990–$100,520 | $74,450 | −5% | 3,780 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Antonio 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 San Antonio welding and fabrication hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why we name Toyota, CPS Energy, and Project Marvel specifically
All three are named directly in the metro's own data as drivers behind industrial and structural welding demand, at different stages of maturity.
Why Project Marvel is "once vertical construction begins," not yet
The hub is explicit that Project Marvel's structural-steel demand hasn't landed yet - it's planned, not underway. We report that distinction rather than treating it as current demand.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified industrial welding experience for the Toyota-adjacent roles, structural/pipe welding experience for the CPS Energy-adjacent roles, and we track Project Marvel's timeline for when structural-steel demand actually opens up.
Realistic timelines
Standard structural welding roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer. Industrial welding roles tied to Toyota run on the region's tighter timeline. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The welding and fabrication positions we fill, most often.
Across all San Antonio welding and fabrication clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Industrial welder (Toyota supplier park)
- Structural / pipe welder (CPS Energy grid program)
- Structural steel erector (future Project Marvel work)
- Welding & fabrication project manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in San Antonio, see the San Antonio 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 San Antonio, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in San Antonio's welding and fabrication segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For San Antonio welding work, we also confirm whether the role is industrial, utility-grade structural/pipe, or standard commercial scope.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing San Antonio welding and fabrication candidate network, filtered for verified industrial or utility-grade 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 San Antonio's documented general context.
San Antonio runs 17% 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 San Antonio's welding and fabrication market compares
In 2023 the San Antonio metro had 23 nonresidential structural steel contractors (counted by business location), with about 464 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $62,921, 19.8% below the national average of $78,464 for the same kind of employer. Headcount grew 2.4% over the year, faster than the 2.3% national increase, so local employers were adding people quicker than most of the country. That works out to 0.9 per 100,000 residents against 1.2 nationally. Fewer local employers means experienced people are easier to identify, but many work for firms based outside the metro. These firms account for 0.7% of all construction employment in the metro.
In 2023 the San Antonio metro had 21 structural metal fabricators (counted by business location), with about 340 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $63,407, 15.2% below the national average of $74,756 for the same kind of employer. Headcount fell 3.4% 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 4.5%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 0.8 per 100,000 residents against 1.1 nationally. Fewer local employers means experienced people are easier to identify, but many work for firms based outside the metro.
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, San Antonio ranks 30th for headcount, 92nd for median pay and 49th for concentration for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 15,850 | $57,940 | 1.80 | 79 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 10,620 | $51,630 | 0.98 | 79 |
| San Antonio | 2,510 | $48,220 | 0.83 | 23 |
| Austin | 2,210 | $59,040 | 0.64 | 30 |
| El Paso | 650 | $45,000 | 0.71 | 11 |
| McAllen | 350 | $39,710 | 0.43 | 8 |
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 San Antonio, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, San Antonio metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How San Antonio's welding & fabrication market has changed since 2018.
San Antonio lost nonresidential structural steel contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 24 business locations to 23 (down 4%), behind the 4% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 10%, to about 464 people, so fewer firms are employing more people each. Average annual pay there went from $47,992 to $62,921 (+31%), faster than the 22% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up. San Antonio lost structural metal fabricators between 2018 and 2023, from 25 business locations to 21 (down 16%), behind the 13% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 13%, to about 340 people. Average annual pay there went from $54,254 to $63,407 (+17%), slower than the 26% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: business locations | 24 | 23 | −4% |
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: employment | 422 | 464 | +10% |
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: average annual pay | $47,992 | $62,921 | +31% |
| Structural metal fabricators: business locations | 25 | 21 | −16% |
| Structural metal fabricators: employment | 392 | 340 | −13% |
| Structural metal fabricators: average annual pay | $54,254 | $63,407 | +17% |
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 San Antonio.
What are San Antonio's named welding demand centers?
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas's $500M+ recent reinvestment for industrial welding, CPS Energy's grid and generation program for structural/pipe welding, and the planned Project Marvel downtown district for future structural-steel work - all named directly in the metro's own data.
Is welding and fabrication talent expensive to staff in San Antonio?
Toyota's supplier park keeps industrial welders busy and CPS Energy's grid program adds structural and pipe welding work - real, current demand. Project Marvel's structural-steel demand is still ahead of us, once vertical construction begins.
What do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn in San Antonio?
BLS puts the San Antonio median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $48,220 a year, 10% below the $53,750 national median. That ranks 104th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $38,230 and $73,800, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Texas, Austin pays more, at $59,040.
Is it hard to hire welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in San Antonio?
Yes. San Antonio has 17% fewer welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 2,510 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 23 nonresidential structural steel contractors here average about 20 employees per location.
Which welding & fabrication roles pay the most in San Antonio?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fabrication Supervisor pays the most in San Antonio, a $70,500 median. Welder / Cutter is the lowest-paid field role at $48,220. Structural Iron and Steel Worker trails national pay the most (20% below).
How many nonresidential structural steel contractors operate in San Antonio?
BLS counted 23 nonresidential structural steel contractors in San Antonio in 2023, employing about 464 people between them. Down from 24 in 2018, a 4% decline against 4% growth nationally. That averages 20 people per location. They pay an average of $62,921, 20% below the $78,464 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 21 structural metal fabricators in San Antonio in 2023, employing about 340 people between them. Down from 25 in 2018, a 16% decline against 13% growth nationally. That averages 16 people per location. They pay an average of $63,407, 15% below the $74,756 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with San Antonio for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (74 miles, about 2,210, $59,040 median), Houston (190 miles, about 15,850, $57,940 median) and McAllen (223 miles, about 350, $39,710 median). Houston has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Austin pays 22% more, which is where San Antonio employers tend to lose people.
We have not closed a welding & fabrication search in San Antonio yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in San Antonio than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Estimator / Project ManagerShe grew her own asphalt repair business from $600K to $2.5 million before taking this seat.
- Estimator / Project ManagerAn 80% win rate on bids from $100,000 to $2 million, brought onto the same bid desk.
One welding & fabrication seat is open in Texas right now.
Nothing is open for this trade in San Antonio this week. These are the live welding & fabrication searches elsewhere in Texas - commuting distance for some of them, a relocation conversation for the rest.
- Mechanical Welding SuperintendentApply →
Every open role we are running →
Board last synced September 28, 2026. Roles move fast; /jobs/ is always the current list.
Hiring welding & fabrication talent in San Antonio?
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