Welding & fabrication recruiters serving Winston-Salem.
Structural fabrication for Innovation Quarter's new buildings and the Freischlag Tower is steady demand. Standard shop welding tracks close to national parity.
Two named projects, national-parity wages.
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 Winston-Salem against that documented context.
Two named projects, driving steady demand.
Named directly in the metro's own data.
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Eight new buildings between downtown Winston-Salem and U.S. 52, combining retail, scientific/biotech, healthcare, and residential space - a named driver of steady structural fabrication demand.
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A new care tower on the main Ardmore campus - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history, and the named driver alongside Innovation Quarter.
What welding & fabrication roles pay in Winston-Salem.
In the Winston-Salem metro, BLS puts the median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $46,370 a year, 14% below the $53,750 national median. Among the 112 metros BLS publishes for this occupation, Winston-Salem ranks 108th on pay. The range runs from $39,730 at the 10th percentile to $73,680 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 $68,670 median. National benchmarks by role are in the 2026 Welding & Fabrication Salary Guide.
| Role | Winston-Salem median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welder / CutterWelders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (51-4121) | $46,370 | $39,730–$73,680 | $53,750 | −14% | 1,230 |
| Structural Iron and Steel WorkerStructural Iron and Steel Workers (47-2221) | $47,730 | $36,190–$56,460 | $62,780 | −24% | 160 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator / FitterStructural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (51-2041) | $48,590 | $37,220–$64,810 | $51,330 | −5% | 150 |
| MachinistMachinists (51-4041) | $50,350 | $36,180–$64,010 | $58,750 | −14% | 910 |
| Fabrication SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (51-1011) | $68,670 | $46,320–$101,270 | $74,450 | −8% | 1,710 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem welding and fabrication hiring actually plays out in 2026.
Why we name both Innovation Quarter and the Freischlag Tower
Innovation Quarter Phase II (28 acres, 2.5M+ sq ft planned) and the $450M Freischlag Tower are both named directly in the metro's own data as drivers of steady structural fabrication demand.
Why "tracks close to national parity" is honest context here
The hub is explicit that standard shop welding tracks close to national parity 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 mixed-use biotech/healthcare development and healthcare-grade tower 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 Winston-Salem welding and fabrication clients, these are the highest-volume roles we've recruited for in the last 24 months.
- Structural fabricator (mixed-use development)
- Structural welder (healthcare tower construction)
- Standard shop welder
- Welding & fabrication project manager
For the broader picture across every commercial trade in Winston-Salem, see the Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem, plainly.
Same approach we use in every market - but tuned for what works in Winston-Salem's welding and fabrication segment specifically:
- Same-day intake call. We get the role, the project context, the budget, your dealbreakers. For Winston-Salem welding work, we also confirm whether the role sits on Innovation Quarter or the Freischlag Tower.
- Candidate sourcing within 48 hours. We pull from our existing Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem's documented national-parity wages, so you're not overpaying against a market that doesn't carry a scarcity premium.
Winston-Salem runs 69% more welding and fabrication workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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 Winston-Salem's welding and fabrication market compares
In 2023 the Winston-Salem metro had 13 nonresidential structural steel contractors (counted by business location), with about 247 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $66,467, 15.3% below the national average of $78,464 for the same kind of employer. The number of these employers rose 18.2%, more firms competing for the same crews. That works out to 1.9 per 100,000 residents against 1.2 nationally, a crowded field where experienced people get approached often. These firms account for 1.9% of all construction employment in the metro.
In 2023 the Winston-Salem metro had 13 structural metal fabricators (counted by business location), with about 644 people on their payrolls. Average pay at those firms was $60,917, 18.5% below the national average of $74,756 for the same kind of employer. That works out to 1.9 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, Winston-Salem ranks 56th for headcount, 96th for median pay and 9th for concentration for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers. That puts it among the deepest welding and fabrication labor markets in the country.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 3,370 | $56,070 | 0.93 | 42 |
| Winston-Salem | 1,230 | $46,370 | 1.69 | 13 |
| Greensboro | 1,180 | $54,180 | 1.20 | 13 |
| Raleigh | 1,090 | $56,940 | 0.55 | 17 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 290 | $49,280 | 0.31 | 10 |
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 Winston-Salem, the local pool is deeper than most, so a well-run search can usually fill field roles from inside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Winston-Salem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
How Winston-Salem's welding & fabrication market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential structural steel contractors in Winston-Salem rose from 12 in 2018 to 13 in 2023, up 8%, ahead of the 4% national rise. The number of structural metal fabricators in Winston-Salem rose from 11 in 2018 to 13 in 2023, up 18%, ahead of the 13% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: business locations | 12 | 13 | +8% |
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: employment | – | 247 | – |
| Nonresidential structural steel contractors: average annual pay | – | $66,467 | – |
| Structural metal fabricators: business locations | 11 | 13 | +18% |
| Structural metal fabricators: employment | – | 644 | – |
| Structural metal fabricators: average annual pay | – | $60,917 | – |
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 Winston-Salem.
What are Winston-Salem's named welding demand centers?
Innovation Quarter Phase II (28 acres, 2.5M+ sq ft of new mixed-use development) and the $450M Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Freischlag Tower - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history.
Is welding and fabrication talent expensive to staff in Winston-Salem?
Standard shop welding tracks close to national parity in Winston-Salem - not an expensive market, even with two concurrent named projects driving demand.
What do welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers earn in Winston-Salem?
BLS puts the Winston-Salem median for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers at $46,370 a year, 14% below the $53,750 national median. That ranks 108th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $39,730 and $73,680, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within North Carolina, Raleigh pays more, at $56,940.
Is it hard to hire welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in Winston-Salem?
Not by national standards. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make up 69% more of the Winston-Salem workforce than they do nationally, about 1,230 people. The 13 nonresidential structural steel contractors here average about 19 employees per location.
Which welding & fabrication roles pay the most in Winston-Salem?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fabrication Supervisor pays the most in Winston-Salem, a $68,670 median. Welder / Cutter is the lowest-paid field role at $46,370. Structural Iron and Steel Worker trails national pay the most (24% below).
How many nonresidential structural steel contractors operate in Winston-Salem?
BLS counted 13 nonresidential structural steel contractors in Winston-Salem in 2023, employing about 247 people between them. Up from 12 in 2018, a 8% increase against 4% growth nationally. That averages 19 people per location. They pay an average of $66,467, 15% below the $78,464 national average for the same kind of employer. BLS counted 13 structural metal fabricators in Winston-Salem in 2023, employing about 644 people between them. Up from 11 in 2018, a 18% increase against 13% growth nationally. That averages 50 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $60,917, 19% below the $74,756 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Winston-Salem for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Greensboro (25 miles, about 1,180, $54,180 median), Charlotte (69 miles, about 3,370, $56,070 median) and Durham-Chapel Hill (75 miles, about 290, $49,280 median). Charlotte has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Greensboro pays 17% more, which is where Winston-Salem employers tend to lose people.
Hiring welding & fabrication talent in Winston-Salem?
Tell us the role. We'll tell you timeline and where we'd source the candidate - in under 30 minutes.