Find Your Next Job in North Dakota
The Peace Garden State offers numerous trade opportunities.
Job hunting? Whether you are already in a skilled trade or are looking to transition into one, North Dakota’s abundant job pool is sure to include a position that fits your interests and talents. Usually construction related, trade jobs don’t require a college degree, yet significant training and experience is often necessary.
“For us in the building trades, it’s going to be a booming market in North Dakota for another 10 years or so,” says Jason Ehlert, president of North Dakota’s Building Trades Unions. “The need for labor is going to be heavy – really big numbers.”
North Dakota’s Building Trades Unions advocates for union members in the construction industry and represents 15 craft disciplines, such as boilermakers, carpenters and millwrights, electrical workers, ironworkers, and plumbers and pipefitters – all of which are expected to have high worker demand.
Oil, gas and coal production will continue to fuel the state’s economy, as will wind, solar and the mining and processing of critical minerals used in products like electric vehicles. All of this will require infrastructure, including roads and buildings. Additionally, there’s demand for schools, hospitals and cutting-edge projects, like cloud data centers and Project Tundra, which Ehlert says is a first-in-the-nation commercial scale carbon capture system.
To attract talent, trade jobs pay well.
“On average, [trade jobs pay] $90,000 annually in wage and benefits,” Ehlert says. That’s a small year. In big years, [it’s] well over six figures.” And each of the unions Ehlert represents offers extensive apprenticeship training programs that go beyond North Dakota. “It’s giving you a journeyman’s certificate that’s recognized across the country through the U.S. Department of Labor,” he says.
Trade jobs exist across different industries, meaning multiple companies are often looking for the same skill set.
“There are opportunities for construction all over the state,” Ehlert says. “It’s more commercial in the east and more industrial in the west. The sky’s the limit.”
Read on to see which North Dakota companies have available trade jobs.
In This Article
Industrial Contractors Inc.
Headquartered in Bismarck, Industrial Contractors Inc. (ICI) is an industrial construction company whose roots can be traced back more than 50 years. It serves markets such as power, refining, oil/gas, mining and minerals. Sample projects include turbine roof replacement, siding and framing replacement, carbon capture and ammonia storage. ICI hires boilermakers, electrical workers, ironworkers and pipefitters as well as field engineers and project managers.
Robert Gibb & Sons
Based in Fargo with a second office in Bismarck, Robert Gibb & Sons works on projects all over North Dakota. Some of its specialties include commercial and residential HVAC, electrical, plumbing, process piping and sheet metal fabrication.
McFarlane Mechanical Contractors
Located in Grand Forks, McFarlane Mechanical Contractors focuses on commercial and residential HVAC, meaning HVAC contractors, electricians and sheet metal workers are in demand. However, McFarlane’s varied work scope also includes the food processing industry. Some of its projects involving trade jobs include fabricating and installing pump tanks, transfer chutes, process piping, catwalks and handrails, and dust collection systems.
McGough
McGough is a full-service construction company with offices in Bismarck and Fargo. A few projects in its portfolio include expanding the terminal at Fargo’s Hector International Airport, renovating Minot State University’s Hartnett Hall and building New Town’s MHA Emergency Operations Center. The company often needs trades like bricklayers, cement masons, carpenters, electricians and plumbers.
Mortenson
Known for its work on sports facilities, schools, college residence halls, data centers and hospitals, Mortenson builds a lot in North Dakota’s rural communities. The company frequently needs bricklayers, cement masons, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, ironworkers and laborers.
Northland Concrete and Masonry
From the University of North Dakota’s science building to processing plants, hotels, grocery stores and high schools, Northland Concrete and Masonry (NCM) says it’s “always looking for top-quality employees” for trade work on concrete structures, general concrete construction and masonry. If you’re interested in sustainable design and construction, green buildings are also part of NCM’s growing business.
ArchKey/Parsons Electric
ArchKey/Parsons Electric, which has an office in Fargo, is a service provider of electrical, technologies and specialty services. Its website touts that employee tenure averages more than 12 years.
Northern Improvement Co.
For nearly 100 years, Northern Improvement Co. has been building roads. With offices across the state in Fargo, Bismarck and Dickinson, the company grades and paves asphalt and concrete. It also runs heavy industrial operations at coal mines and power plants.
This article was sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Commerce.