1

Blacksmith Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

General Manager, Sandboxes

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

$180 - $320/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • PTO

About Blacksmith * We started by building infrastructure to run CI workloads really fast. Our first product helps companies run GitHub Actions substantially faster and cheaper by owning and operating ...

Head of Capacity

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

$100 - $150/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

About Blacksmith * We started by building infrastructure to run CI workloads really fast. Our first product helps companies run GitHub Actions substantially faster and cheaper by owning and operating ...

Head of Finance

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

About Blacksmith * We started by building infrastructure to run CI workloads really fast. Our first product helps companies run GitHub Actions substantially faster and cheaper by owning and operating ...

Head of Finance

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

$130 - $160/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

About Blacksmith * We started by building infrastructure to run CI workloads really fast. Our first product helps companies run GitHub Actions substantially faster and cheaper by owning and operating ...

Blacksmith Apprentice - 1st Shift

Oxnard, CA

$18.50 - $23.75/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Blacksmith sets up and operates the various forging presses, working in constant communication with the Blacksmith Apprentice. See different levels below: Apprentice ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND ...

Blacksmith/Straightener

Irwindale, CA ยท On-site

$25 - $30/hr

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Blacksmith/Straightener is responsible for primarily operating straightening presses and other related forge equipment to shape metal components according to specifications. In addition to hands ...

Blacksmith Apprentice (2nd Shift, Alton)

Santa Ana, CA

$18.50 - $23.75/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Blacksmith sets up and operates the various forging presses, working in constant communication with the Blacksmith Apprentice. See different levels below: Apprentice ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND ...

Blacksmith Level I - 2nd Shift

Santa Ana, CA

$27 - $32/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Blacksmith sets up and operates the various forging presses, working in constant communication with the Blacksmith Apprentice. See different levels below: Level 1 ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND ...

1st Shift Blacksmith Apprentice (Press)

Santa Ana, CA

$18.50 - $23.75/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Blacksmith sets up and operates the various forging presses, working in constant communication with the Blacksmith Apprentice. See different levels below: Apprentice ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

Blacksmith information

See California salary details

$5

$21

How much do blacksmith jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average hourly pay for blacksmith in California is $21.24, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $21.25 and $21.25 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a blacksmith?

Blacksmiths are skilled tradespeople who work with metal, primarily by heating, hammering, bending, and shaping it to create tools, hardware, decorative objects, and sometimes horseshoes. They use traditional techniques and modern equipment to manipulate iron, steel, and other metals. Blacksmiths often repair or restore metal items and may also design custom metalwork for architectural or artistic purposes. Their work combines craftsmanship, creativity, and practical problem-solving.

What do blacksmiths do?

Blacksmiths work with metal to create different kinds of tools and objects. Using a forge to heat and soften the metal, blacksmiths then use an anvil to hammer the material into the appropriate shapes. According to the National Careers Service, blacksmithing is a trade that been around for centuries. While factories and casting processes have taken over much of the work of traditional blacksmiths, a career as a blacksmith is still a necessary and rewarding path for people who enjoy working with their hands.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a blacksmith, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Blacksmith, you need a solid understanding of metallurgy, metalworking techniques, and proficiency in using forging tools, often acquired through apprenticeships or vocational training. Familiarity with anvils, hammers, tongs, power tools, and safety equipment is essential, and some may pursue certifications in welding or metal fabrication. Creativity, attention to detail, and physical stamina are standout soft skills for this hands-on, artistic profession. These abilities ensure the production of high-quality metalwork, safe working practices, and the ability to meet custom client or industrial specifications.

What are some common challenges a blacksmith may face in a modern workshop environment?

Blacksmiths today often encounter challenges such as adapting traditional forging skills to modern safety standards, handling a variety of metals with different properties, and maintaining specialized equipment. Additionally, blacksmiths may need to balance custom, artistic projects with repair or restoration work, requiring both creativity and precision. Collaboration with clients, metalworkers, and other artisans is also common, making strong communication skills essential for success in this role.

What is the difference between Blacksmith vs Welder?

AspectBlacksmithWelder
Required CredentialsNone mandatory, often apprenticeships or certifications in forgingCertifications like AWS or CWB often required
Work EnvironmentForge, workshop, outdoor settingsConstruction sites, factories, workshops
Industry UsageArt, decorative ironwork, custom metalworkManufacturing, construction, repair

Blacksmiths and welders both work with metals, but blacksmiths focus on forging and shaping metal through heating and hammering, often creating artistic or custom pieces. Welders specialize in joining metals using welding techniques, primarily for industrial and construction purposes. While their skills overlap in metalwork, their tools, techniques, and typical work environments differ significantly.

Are there still blacksmithing jobs?

Blacksmithing jobs are still available, primarily in specialized craft shops, restoration projects, and artistic metalworking. While the industry is smaller than in the past, skilled blacksmiths with knowledge of tools like hammers and anvils can find opportunities in custom work, historical preservation, and teaching. Employment may require apprenticeships or certifications and often involves manual labor and creative skills.

How much money can a blacksmith make?

Blacksmiths typically earn between $30,000 and $60,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and specialization. Skilled blacksmiths with certifications or those working in high-demand areas can earn higher wages, especially if they run their own shops or work on custom projects.

Is a blacksmith a good career?

A blacksmith is a skilled tradesperson who works with metal using tools like hammers and anvils, often in a workshop or forge. The career can be rewarding for those interested in craftsmanship and traditional techniques, but it may involve physical labor, irregular hours, and a competitive market. Success often depends on skill level, specialization, and business acumen.

What are the most commonly searched types of Blacksmith jobs in California?

The most popular types of Blacksmith jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Blacksmith jobs in California?

For Blacksmith jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Blacksmith jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Blacksmith jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Blacksmith jobs?

Cities in California with the most Blacksmith job openings:

What are popular job titles related to Blacksmith jobs in CA?

For Blacksmith jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Blacksmith job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 80% Full Time, and 20% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $44,181 per year, or $21.2 per hour.

General Manager, Sandboxes

Blacksmith

San Francisco, CA โ€ข On-site

$180 - $320/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Posted 29 days ago


Job description

About Blacksmith
  • We started by building infrastructure to run CI workloads really fast. Our first product helps companies run GitHub Actions substantially faster and cheaper by owning and operating our own global fleet of bare-metal machines rather than renting generic cloud VMs.

  • Today, we orchestrate tens of millions of Firecracker VMs each month, running CI for 3,000+ companies and hit ~$10M in ARR in less than 2 years. Weโ€™ve already more than 5Xโ€™ed revenue since the start of 2026.

  • We operate thousands of bare-metal machines across multiple regions, regularly schedule 100k+ vCPUs concurrently, and run a petabyte-scale Ceph cluster that we manage ourselves.

  • Weโ€™ve raised $58.5M from Seed to Series B, led by Google Ventures (GV) & Peak XV Capital, and weโ€™re intentionally building a small, but exceptional team.

  • Blacksmith was founded by a team with deep systems and scaling experience, including building search/ads infrastructure at Faire, and operating large distributed systems at Cockroach Labs. Our GTM is led by Jon Boyer, formerly Head of Sales at Zapier.

  • Weโ€™re now extending the same CI infrastructure into a broader platform: running agent sandboxes at scale and building our own background coding agent on top of it.

The role

Blacksmith is building the fastest cloud for code: the infra layer where software gets run, tested, and fixed. As AI makes code generation cheaper, the bottleneck is shifting from writing code to running it quickly, at scale. Every agent workflow needs a fast, isolated place to run.

We are hiring a General Manager to build Blacksmithโ€™s Sandboxes business.

You will own the business end-to-end: product strategy, customer development, go-to-market, pricing, partnerships, adoption, revenue, unit economics, and team-building.

This is a zero-to-one role. You will work directly with Blacksmithโ€™s founders and engineering team to make Blacksmith the default execution platform for AI agents and software work.

The role should feel like building a new infrastructure company, except you will start with Blacksmithโ€™s compute and storage fleet, execution stack, customers, capital, and distribution.

What youโ€™ll do
  • Develop a clear view of the sandbox market, customers, product, and how Blacksmith wins.

  • Work directly with early customers building agents and other code-execution products, turning their needs into the roadmap.

  • Make Blacksmith the default sandbox provider for AI startups, developer companies, and larger enterprises.

  • Build repeatable acquisition, onboarding, retention, and expansion motions.

  • Own pricing, packaging, partnerships, adoption, revenue, and unit economics.

  • Establish Blacksmith as the technical and commercial leader in sandbox infrastructure.

  • Recruit and lead a dedicated cross-functional team.

Who you are

You may be a former founder, an early leader at a developer-infrastructure company, or someone who has built a technical product from zero to meaningful adoption.

You are:

  • Technically credible with engineers and technical founders.

  • Strong across both product and go-to-market.

  • Exceptionally ambitious and hungry to build something enormous, not merely launch a successful product.

  • Comfortable personally selling, onboarding customers, and doing unscalable work before a mature motion exists.

  • Highly urgent, handsโ€‘on, and effective in ambiguous environments.

  • Able to move between strategy, customer conversations, product decisions, and execution.

  • Excited to own an entire business rather than a single function.

You do not need to be a systems engineer, but you should be fluent in developer platforms, distributed systems, workload isolation, infrastructure economics, APIs, reliability, and security.

This role is not a fit if
  • You have primarily managed mature products with established productโ€‘market fit.

  • You want to build a large team before personally doing the work.

  • You are more comfortable coordinating functions than directly owning outcomes.

  • You need a wellโ€‘defined roadmap or organizational structure to make progress.

Compensation and benefits
  • Medical, Vision, and Dental insurance.

  • Competitive base + equity.

  • Unlimited PTO.

  • Annual offsite.

  • Earlyโ€‘exercise stock options

  • 12 weeks fully paid parental leave (US)

#J-18808-Ljbffr