How to hire a fabricator

How to hire a fabricator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fabricator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a fabricator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fabricator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a fabricator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The fabricator hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect fabricator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents fabricator salaries for various positions.

   Type of Fabricator	Description	Hourly rate
   Fabricator	Assemblers and fabricators assemble finished products and the parts that go into them. They use tools, machines, and their hands to make engines, computers, aircraft, ships, boats, toys, electronic devices, control panels, and more.	$12-21
   Pipe Welder	According to schematics and analyzing specifications, a pipe welder is responsible for maintaining and repairing pipe systems and components. Pipe welders inspect the quality of the materials, assemble tools for welding preparations, ensure the safety of the welding method and structural units, and strictly adhere to safety operations procedures... Show more	$15-30
   MIG Welder	The MIG welder is responsible for creating metal projects using inert gas welding techniques and electric arc processes. MIG welders carefully fuse metal components, avoiding contamination on the weld, as well as managing the metal bond defects... Show more	$13-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hand Tools
   • Basic Math
   • Calipers
   • Math
   • Tape Measure
   • CNC
   • Aluminum
   • MIG
   • Fabrication Shop
   • Shop Equipment
   • Grinders
   • Safety Procedures
   • Quality Standards
   • Work Ethic

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Finish weld using SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW as required.
   • Gain experience in tig and arc welding, as well as cleaning welds.
   • Design, manufacture, and assemble plastic products through one of a number of methods such as molding and extrusion.
   • Operate equipment and power tools, including arc welding and gas welding equipment, grinders, sanders, lathes and saws.
   • Master the use of an array of tools including but not limit to power saws, grinders, polishers, etc.
   • Certify in SMAW, GMAW.

   More fabricator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the fabricator job description is a good way to get more applicants. A fabricator salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a fabricator in Alabama may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level fabricator. Additionally, a fabricator with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average fabricator salary

   $16.79hourly

   $34,922 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level fabricator salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average fabricator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nevada	$42,318	$20
   2	California	$39,451	$19
   3	Virginia	$38,963	$19
   4	Oregon	$38,528	$19
   5	Iowa	$38,341	$18
   6	Arizona	$38,043	$18
   7	Louisiana	$37,670	$18
   8	New York	$37,420	$18
   9	Utah	$36,969	$18
   10	Massachusetts	$36,355	$17
   11	Michigan	$36,349	$17
   12	Colorado	$35,806	$17
   13	Pennsylvania	$35,650	$17
   14	Minnesota	$35,449	$17
   15	Nebraska	$34,585	$17
   16	Kansas	$33,827	$16
   17	Wisconsin	$33,730	$16
   18	Ohio	$33,308	$16
   19	Missouri	$33,212	$16
   20	North Carolina	$32,504	$16

   Average fabricator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Danaher	$47,500	$22.84	2
   2	General Electric	$46,284	$22.25	17
   3	Sierra Pacific Industries	$46,205	$22.21	2
   4	Schlumberger	$45,679	$21.96
   5	Johnson Controls	$45,112	$21.69	12
   6	Valmont Industries	$44,341	$21.32	36
   7	American Woodmark	$43,844	$21.08
   8	Lippert Components	$43,684	$21.00	15
   9	Halliburton	$43,476	$20.90
   10	Lockheed Martin	$43,420	$20.88	5
   11	Simpson Manufacturing Co	$43,264	$20.80
   12	L3Harris	$43,216	$20.78	1
   13	Eaton	$43,138	$20.74	28
   14	BRP US Inc	$42,896	$20.62
   15	Pall	$42,887	$20.62
   16	GPAC	$42,753	$20.55
   17	Oshkosh	$42,743	$20.55	11
   18	Maxum Enterprises, LLC	$42,467	$20.42
   19	Faraday Future	$42,378	$20.37
   20	REV Group	$42,210	$20.29	13

4. Writing a fabricator job description

   A fabricator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a fabricator job description:

   Fabricator job description example

   • Will be helping load and unload the laser along with other machines.
   • Work off of a list each day that prioritizes which pieces need to be done first.
   • Prep small to large pieces of metal before it's put in the paint booth.
   • Use power tools to sand and buff pieces of excess metal off the parts
   • Lifting up to 50lbs of material onto a paint line. If it's more than 50lbs they use an overhead crane.
   • Complete quality assurance checks to ensure the materials are loaded correctly
   • Complete another quality assurance check before sending to shipping department.

   Skills:

   production, power tool, prep, stand, lift, Assembly, Tape measure, Machine operation, Fabrication, Blueprint, Mig, Welding, Mig welding, Mig welder, Press brake, Blueprint reading, Grinding, Grinder

   Top Skills Details:

   production, power tool, prep, stand, lift

   Additional Skills & Qualifications:

   1 year of previous experience using power tools

   Ability to lift 50 lbs

   Experience Level:

   Intermediate Level

   About Aerotek:

   We know that a company's success starts with its employees. We also know that an individual's success starts with the right career opportunity. As a Best of Staffing Client and Talent leader, Aerotek's people-focused approach yields competitive advantage for our clients and rewarding careers for our contract employees. Since 1983, Aerotek has grown to become a leader in recruiting and staffing services. With more than 250 non-franchised offices, Aerotek's 8,000 internal employees serve more than 300,000 contract employees and 18,000 clients every year. Aerotek is an Allegis Group company, the global leader in talent solutions. Learn more at

   The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find fabricators for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your fabricator job on Zippia to find and recruit fabricator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit fabricators, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new fabricator

   Once you've decided on a perfect fabricator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a fabricator?