In Russia, a deficiency of welders is prevalent.
National Shortage of Welders Affects 35 Regions in Russia
A study by hh.ru reveals a significant shortage of welders in 35 regions of Russia, with the Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia most acutely affected, receiving only one resume for each vacancy when the norm is between 4 and 7.9.
Regionally, the Jewish Autonomous Region, Tambov Region, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Lipetsk and Vladimir Regions, and the Amur Region each have less than double the number of resumes per vacancy for welders compared to the norm.
Over 48,000 vacancies for welders have been advertised nationwide this year, a slight increase from the 44,000 vacancies in the same period last year. Notably, the highest number of job offers for semi-automatic and argon arc welding masters were in the Moscow Region, the Republic of Bashkortostan, Sverdlovsk Region, Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Krasnodar Krai, and St. Petersburg. Employers in the North Caucasus Federal District required fewer than 40 welders.
Salary offers for welders are comparatively high, with a median of 117,600 rubles nationwide. The highest salaries were offered in the Amur Region (140,000 rubles), Irkutsk Region (146,000 rubles), the Republic of Bashkortostan (151,000 rubles), Magadan Region (162,000 rubles), and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (184,000 rubles).
While data specific to the most popular professions among college graduates in Russia compared to the shortage of welders in 2025 was not found, globally, there is a preference among college graduates for fields with high growth potential and stability, such as technology, finance, and international relations. On the other hand, skilled trades like welding face shortages due to shifting educational and career preferences.
Welding is a crucial profession for infrastructure development and manufacturing, but its shortage can be partly attributed to a shift in education priorities away from vocational training and towards university degrees. The demand for welders, however, remains robust, particularly within the regions highlighted in the study.
- The robust demand for welders in Russia, despite a shortage, suggests potential opportunities for financing the growth of the manufacturing industry in regions with a skills gap.
- As college graduates worldwide gravitate towards fields with high growth potential and stability, such as technology, finance, and international relations, the shortage of skilled tradespeople, particularly welders in Russia's manufacturing sector, becomes more apparent.
