There’s an old saying: “Strike while the iron is hot.” It means taking advantage of an opportunity at the best possible time. And when it comes to opportunities, the metals industry is white hot now.
Whether you are looking to further your career in metalworking or if you want to change career paths and explore new opportunities, ResourceTek is here to help you strike when the iron is at its hottest.

Things are Only Heating Up
According to recent studies, the North American metals industry is expected to have an overall compound growth rate of over 3% by 2028. That may not sound like much at first glance, but in practice that means growing from 11 billion dollars of overall revenue in 2021 to over 14 billion dollars in the next five years.
This coincides with a major need for skilled labor who can work with steel and other metals, resulting in a wide field of opportunities for motivated and capable workers, who on average can bring home over $63 thousand per year.
Positions and Skills in Hot Demand
Metal Construction & Fabrication Jobs
Depending on your skills and experience, there are several in-demand positions for you in the metals industry. Most commonly are jobs that work directly with metal pieces for construction and fabrication. This includes:
- Welders
- Millwrights
- CNC machinists
- Several other hands-on positions
These jobs require a fair amount of physical strength and stamina, as well as good manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and a detail-oriented mindset to make sure the work is done precisely and safely.
Specialized Metalwork
If you have a significant amount of training or education in a particular field, you may want to look into more specialized positions.
- Mechanical designers create technical drawings and plans for new tools and equipment.
- CNC programmers design schematics and instructions for modeling software.
- Metallurgists study metals in order to find better ways to process and apply them in the commercial world.
- Material engineers develop new materials to create new products.
Each of these positions requires special education, often a degree or other similar credentials, but can also be particularly lucrative and rewarding.

Management & Leadership Positions
As with most industries, there is always a need for those with management and leadership experience.
- Project managers coordinate and oversee tasks from start to finish.
- Quality assurance inspectors check products and processes to make sure everything meets industry standards.
- Maintenance planners plan, schedule, and execute repairs of equipment and machinery.
Candidates for these positions should have a mind for procedures and planning, ideally with a relevant degree.
Forging Your Career Path
No matter which career path you decide to pursue, ResourceTek can help you find the best position. We work directly with some of the best companies in the country to find skilled and experienced workers, which means we’re able to cut through the red tape and bureaucracy in order to put the right people in the right place.
Our employees enjoy exceptional compensation for their work and competitive benefits, often better than working directly for the employer. And we’ll work with you to find the most desirable projects and work environments in your field, including transitioning to full-time direct employment if desired.
These are just a few of the industry positions available through ResourceTek:
- Maintenance Planner – Cold Rolling Mill
- Caster Operations Process Engineer
- Reliability Engineer – Hot Dip Galvanizing
Don’t let the opportunities in the metals industry cool on you. ResourceTek can help you strike while the iron is hot and shape the career you’ve always wanted.
Ready to forge a new career path in metals? Contact us today!