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Job Description

Overview

We are looking for a skilled metal fabricator to build and assemble stairs, ladders, and other miscellaneous steel products from blueprints and shop drawings. This hands-on position involves preparing materials, fitting parts, welding, and finishing completed assemblies while maintaining quality and safety standards.

Responsibilities

  • Build and assemble metal stairs, ladders, and other miscellaneous steel components.
  • Read blueprints, shop drawings, shop tickets, and technical specifications.
  • Measure, lay out, cut, fit, weld, and finish metal parts.
  • Operate fabrication equipment, including saws, shears, press brakes, welders, and grinders.
  • Inspect finished work for accuracy, quality, and compliance with specifications.
  • Coordinate with project managers, engineers, and fellow fabricators to meet project requirements and deadlines.
  • Troubleshoot fabrication problems and help identify practical solutions.
  • Keep tools and work areas clean, organized, and safe.
  • Adjust to changing workloads and project priorities without compromising quality.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalent.
  • Previous metal fabrication experience, preferably with miscellaneous structural steel.
  • Experience with flux-cored arc welding (FCAW); welding certification is preferred.
  • Ability to interpret detailed blueprints and shop drawings.
  • Strong attention to detail, time management, and organizational skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks and adapt to changing priorities.
  • Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and work in an industrial setting.
  • Dependable, team-oriented approach to work.

Additional Information

  • Location: Richmond, VA
  • Job Type: Direct Hire
  • Shift: 1st Shift
  • Starting Pay: $24.00/hour; higher pay may be available depending on experience.
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How this job compares in Richmond, VA

Pay in context

At roughly $24/hr, this posting comes in about 17% below the $29/hr median for welding jobs across Virginia, where the middle half runs $24–$34/hr across 70 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 23% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Richmond, VA

We're tracking 12 other active welding openings in Richmond, VA right now, from 7 different employers. 3 of them were added in the last week. Across Virginia as a whole we're tracking 128 other active welding openings from 71 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Richmond, or widen the search to Virginia.

Qualdoc currently has 3 other openings live in Virginia, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Virginia at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Innovative Refrigeration Systems, Inc. (14), General Dynamics NASSCO (10), and Atlantic Constructors, Inc. (7). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Virginia, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Newport News at $38/hr, Norfolk at $30/hr, and Chesapeake at $28/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for Flux-Core. Flux-cored (FCAW) runs a hollow wire filled with flux, combining MIG-like deposition rates with the outdoor tolerance of stick. It is the workhorse on heavy structural steel and shipbuilding, where thick sections and long welds reward speed.

See all welder fabricator openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Similar openings near Richmond, VA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Miscellaneous Steel Fabricator figures were last recalculated when this page was built.