Welding & fabrication recruiters serving Seattle.
Boeing's aerospace manufacturing plants anchor the region's structural-welding demand, commanding the steepest premiums in the metro. Sound Transit ST3 and downtown high-rise/data center work add sustained commercial fabrication work.
Aerospace anchors the premium; transit and tech sustain the rest.
Metro pay for every role we recruit is in the table below. What the hub does name: Boeing as the anchor of the steepest-premium airframe welding demand, with Sound Transit ST3 and the Amazon/Microsoft/data-center corridor sustaining broader structural fabrication work.
We recruit across the full org chart for welding and fabrication contractors in Seattle against that documented context.
Three named drivers, one clear premium tier.
All three named directly in the metro's own data.
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Aerospace manufacturing plants requiring specialty industrial mechanical, process piping, and high-tolerance electrical - the named anchor behind airframe and structural-component welding, the steepest premium in the metro.
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The largest transit expansion in the region's history - the named driver behind guideway and station structural steel demand.
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Downtown-adjacent Amazon and Microsoft campuses plus major hyperscale data center growth - the named drivers behind sustained downtown high-rise and data center structural fabrication work.
What welding & fabrication roles pay in Seattle.
In the Seattle metro, BLS puts the median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $66,240 a year, 23% above the $53,750 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Seattle ranks 4th on pay. Most of the market sits between $50,270 and $89,630. Of the other field roles, structural iron and steel worker pays the most locally, at a $111,440 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Welding & Fabrication Salary Guide.
| Role | Seattle median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welder / CutterWelders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (51-4121) | $66,240 | $50,270–$89,630 | $53,750 | +23% | 3,230 |
| Structural Iron and Steel WorkerStructural Iron and Steel Workers (47-2221) | $111,440 | $54,720–$129,500 | $62,780 | +78% | 450 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator / FitterStructural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (51-2041) | $65,980 | $48,070–$96,830 | $51,330 | +29% | 520 |
| MachinistMachinists (51-4041) | $74,560 | $49,360–$110,790 | $58,750 | +27% | 4,250 |
| Fabrication SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (51-1011) | $80,460 | $58,640–$124,130 | $74,450 | +8% | 6,760 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Seattle 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 Seattle welding and fabrication hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why we name Boeing, Sound Transit ST3, and the Amazon/Microsoft/data-center build-outs specifically
All three are named directly in the metro's own data as the drivers behind airframe welding, transit structural steel, and downtown/data-center structural fabrication respectively.
Why "the steepest premiums in the metro" is honest context here
The hub is explicit: high-tolerance, certified welders for Boeing airframe and structural components command the steepest premiums in this market - a specific, documented superlative tied to a named employer, not a vague claim.
What this means for sourcing
We source against verified high-tolerance airframe welding certification for the Boeing-adjacent roles, guideway/transit-structural experience for the Sound Transit-adjacent roles, and standard structural fabrication experience for downtown and data-center work.
Realistic timelines
Standard structural welding roles: 4-6 weeks intake to signed offer. Aerospace airframe specialty roles run longer given the steepest-premium, high-tolerance certification requirement. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours regardless.
The welding and fabrication positions we fill, most often.
Across all Seattle welding and fabrication clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Airframe / structural-component welder (Boeing)
- Guideway / transit structural welder (Sound Transit ST3)
- Structural fabricator (downtown high-rise / data center)
- Welding & fabrication project manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Seattle, see the Seattle 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 Seattle, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Seattle's welding and fabrication segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Seattle welding work, we also confirm whether the role requires aerospace airframe certification or standard structural scope.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Seattle welding and fabrication candidate network, filtered for verified aerospace or transit-structural 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 Seattle's documented general context.
Seattle runs 42% fewer welding and fabrication workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 Seattle's welding and fabrication market compares
In 2023 the Seattle metro had 37 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. The number of these employers fell 7.5%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. 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.
In 2023 the Seattle metro had 26 structural metal fabricators (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. The number of these employers fell 10.3%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 0.6 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, Seattle ranks 21st for headcount, 3rd for median pay and 74th for concentration for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | 3,230 | $66,240 | 0.58 | 37 |
| Spokane | 630 | $59,350 | 0.92 | 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 Seattle, 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, Seattle metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Seattle's welding & fabrication market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential structural steel contractors in Seattle rose from 34 in 2018 to 37 in 2023, up 9%, 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. Seattle lost structural metal fabricators between 2018 and 2023, from 28 business locations to 26 (down 7%), behind the 13% growth nationally. BLS stops short of publishing headcount and pay for them here, which happens when a handful of firms account for most of the work.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: business locations | 34 | 37 | +9% |
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: employment | 1,362 | – | – |
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: average annual pay | $77,450 | – | – |
| Structural metal fabricators: business locations | 28 | 26 | −7% |
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 Seattle.
What are Seattle's named welding demand centers?
Boeing's aerospace manufacturing plants for airframe and structural-component welding, the $54B Sound Transit ST3 light-rail expansion for guideway structural steel, and $5B+ in Amazon/Microsoft campus build-outs plus data center growth for downtown structural fabrication - all named directly in the metro's own data.
Is welding and fabrication talent expensive to staff in Seattle?
High-tolerance, certified welders for Boeing airframe and structural components command the steepest premiums in the metro, while Sound Transit and downtown/data-center structural work draws on a broader certified pool.
What do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn in Seattle?
BLS puts the Seattle median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $66,240 a year, 23% above the $53,750 national median. That ranks 4th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $50,270 and $89,630, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Washington metro we cover pays more for this work (Spokane: $59,350).
Is it hard to hire welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Seattle?
Yes. Seattle has 42% fewer welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 3,230 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed.
Which welding & fabrication roles pay the most in Seattle?
Of the roles we recruit for, Structural Iron and Steel Worker pays the most in Seattle, a $111,440 median. Structural Metal Fabricator / Fitter is the lowest-paid field role at $65,980. Relative to national pay, Structural Iron and Steel Worker is the strongest-paying role here (78% above).
How many nonresidential structural steel contractors operate in Seattle?
BLS counted 37 nonresidential structural steel contractors in Seattle in 2023. Up from 34 in 2018, a 9% 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 26 structural metal fabricators in Seattle in 2023. Down from 28 in 2018, a 7% decline against 13% 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.
Which nearby metros compete with Seattle for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Portland (145 miles, about 3,300, $62,050 median) and Spokane (228 miles, about 630, $59,350 median). Seattle out-pays Portland and Spokane, an advantage when recruiting from there.
We have not closed a welding & fabrication search in Seattle 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 Seattle than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Service Operations CoordinatorA lead dispatcher used to 20-25 technicians and 75 calls a day, placed in eight days.
- Commercial SuperintendentTwenty-five years of ground-up commercial leadership, placed in two weeks.
- Construction SuperintendentTenant-improvement and renovation leadership, including prevailing-wage public work.
Hiring welding & fabrication talent in Seattle?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.