Welding & fabrication recruiters serving Spokane.
Structural fabrication for the North Spokane Corridor and Solstice's facility expansion is steady demand. Standard shop welding runs at a modest regional discount.
Two named projects, a modest regional discount.
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 Spokane against that documented context.
Two named projects, driving steady demand.
Named directly in the metro's own data.
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The most expensive highway project in Eastern Washington history - a 10.5-mile corridor with a new elevated four-lane section from the Spokane River to I-90, and the named driver behind steady structural fabrication demand.
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An electronic/semiconductor materials facility expansion in Spokane Valley, with capacity expanding through 2029 - the named driver alongside the North Spokane Corridor.
What welding & fabrication roles pay in Spokane.
In the Spokane metro, BLS puts the median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $59,350 a year, 10% above the $53,750 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Spokane ranks 26th on pay. Most of the market sits between $45,090 and $74,450. Of the other field roles, structural iron and steel worker pays the most locally, at a $82,660 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Welding & Fabrication Salary Guide.
| Role | Spokane median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welder / CutterWelders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (51-4121) | $59,350 | $45,090–$74,450 | $53,750 | +10% | 630 |
| Structural Iron and Steel WorkerStructural Iron and Steel Workers (47-2221) | $82,660 | $40,100–$95,430 | $62,780 | +32% | 120 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator / FitterStructural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (51-2041) | $60,950 | $47,980–$89,650 | $51,330 | +19% | 130 |
| MachinistMachinists (51-4041) | $60,480 | $45,290–$79,210 | $58,750 | +3% | 520 |
| Fabrication SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (51-1011) | $75,160 | $51,290–$108,480 | $74,450 | +1% | 1,280 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Spokane 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 Spokane welding and fabrication hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why we name both the North Spokane Corridor and Solstice specifically
The $1.9B North Spokane Corridor and Solstice Advanced Materials' $200M facility expansion are both named directly in the metro's own data as drivers of steady structural fabrication demand.
Why "a modest regional discount" is honest context here
The hub is explicit that standard shop welding runs at a modest regional discount even with two concurrent named projects driving demand - we report that directly rather than oversell the premium.
What this means for sourcing
We source against structural fabrication experience relevant to both heavy-civil highway construction and semiconductor-materials facility expansion.
Realistic timelines
Steady demand across a multi-year highway project and a facility expansion running through 2029. First slate of vetted candidates within 48 hours.
The welding and fabrication positions we fill, most often.
Across all Spokane welding and fabrication clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Structural fabricator (highway corridor construction)
- Structural welder (advanced-materials facility)
- Standard shop welder
- Welding & fabrication project manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Spokane, see the Spokane 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 Spokane, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Spokane's welding and fabrication segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Spokane welding work, we also confirm whether the role sits on the North Spokane Corridor or the Solstice facility expansion.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Spokane 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 Spokane's documented modest regional discount, so you're not overpaying against a market that doesn't carry a scarcity premium.
Spokane runs 8% 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 Spokane's welding and fabrication market compares
In 2023 the Spokane 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 1.1 per 100,000 residents, close to the 1.2 national rate.
In 2023 the Spokane metro had 11 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 8.3%, as firms merged, closed or moved out. That works out to 1.8 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, Spokane ranks 83rd for headcount, 23rd for median pay and 39th for concentration for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers.
| 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 Spokane, 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, Spokane metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Spokane's welding & fabrication market has changed since 2018.
Spokane had 7 nonresidential structural steel contractors in 2023, exactly as many as in 2018. 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. Spokane lost structural metal fabricators between 2018 and 2023, from 13 business locations to 11 (down 15%), behind the 13% growth nationally. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. How many people those 11 locations employ is not published: with a category this small, BLS would effectively be reporting individual employers' payrolls.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: business locations | 7 | 7 | +0% |
| Structural metal fabricators: business locations | 13 | 11 | −15% |
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 Spokane.
What are Spokane's named welding demand centers?
The $1.9B North Spokane Corridor (the most expensive highway project in Eastern Washington history) and Solstice Advanced Materials' $200M facility expansion, with capacity expanding through 2029.
Is welding and fabrication talent expensive to staff in Spokane?
Standard shop welding runs at a modest regional discount in Spokane - not an expensive market, even with two concurrent named projects driving demand.
What do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn in Spokane?
BLS puts the Spokane median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $59,350 a year, 10% above the $53,750 national median. That ranks 26th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $45,090 and $74,450, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Washington, Seattle pays more, at $66,240.
Is it hard to hire welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Spokane?
It is about average. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers are as common in Spokane as they are nationally (location quotient 0.92), with about 630 in the metro.
Which welding & fabrication roles pay the most in Spokane?
Of the roles we recruit for, Structural Iron and Steel Worker pays the most in Spokane, a $82,660 median. Welder / Cutter is the lowest-paid field role at $59,350. Relative to national pay, Structural Iron and Steel Worker is the strongest-paying role here (32% above).
How many nonresidential structural steel contractors operate in Spokane?
BLS counted 7 nonresidential structural steel contractors in Spokane in 2023. That is roughly where the count stood in 2018 (7). 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 11 structural metal fabricators in Spokane in 2023. Down from 13 in 2018, a 15% 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 Spokane for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Seattle (228 miles, about 3,230, $66,240 median), Boise (286 miles, about 1,400, $50,240 median) and Portland (290 miles, about 3,300, $62,050 median). Seattle has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Seattle pays 12% more, which is where Spokane employers tend to lose people.
Hiring welding & fabrication talent in Spokane?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.