Lately I’m seeing ads wanting full blueprint fluency — AISC details, revision clouds, moment connections on A572 Gr 50 — and multi‑process, but offers still sit around $28–$30 in the Midwest. Are you seeing a pay premium where the shop expects you to read CJP/PJP callouts, choose 0.045 E71T‑1 vs ER70S‑6, and manage preheat (150°F on 3/4") per WPS, or is it still “burn and turn” rates?
Cedar Rapids shop paid me $32 only after I took responsibility for WPS sign-offs and rework tracking; otherwise it was $29 like you’re seeing. “Manage preheat (150°F on 3/4”) per WPS" turned into a $3/hr bump when I logged heat input and stamped the traveler — ownership mattered more than fluency alone. My tip: bring an annotated AISC print to the interview and ask for a 60-day review tied to CJP/PJP accuracy and repair rate; if they won’t put that in writing, it’s a burn-and-turn — would you try that?
In Joliet, I only saw a bump when I owned weld mapping and RFIs with the PE — reading CJP/PJP and choosing 0.045 E71T‑1 vs ER70S‑6 by itself still got quoted $29–$30, . Pitch it as ‘lead fabricator/QC assist’ and bring a sample preheat log for 150°F on 3/4"; that’s what turned mine into $34 plus a small shift diff, @benbake.
Example: in Des Moines I sat at $30 until I owned heat logs, MTR traceability, and scheduled UT with the CWI — then it bumped to $33; print fluency alone didn’t move it. Bring a one‑page weld map + preheat log and say “I’ll run this,” it usually adds $2–$4, though some small shops just roll it into OT; @jacsmit is right about the RFI piece.