Blacksmith
Forges iron and steel into tools, gates, grilles, ornamental ironwork and hardware. In Kenya — with demand for security gates, grilles and custom metalwork — blacksmiths serve construction, agriculture and hardware needs.
- AI exposure
- 3 of 100, low exposure
- Hiring trend
- Stable
- Hiring rate
- 20%
The role
What the work is, what it pays, and what it costs you.
At a glance
- Remote friendly
- No
- Freelance potential
- Medium
- Time to senior
- 6 years
A day in the role
Forges a decorative gate for a residential client. Welds security grilles for a shopfront. Makes a custom hoe for a farmer. Heat-treats a machete for edge hardness. Creates ornamental ironwork for a staircase railing. Quotes a custom gate order. Sources steel from a supplier. Manages the smithy workshop.
What it pays
Kenyan market, per month- Entry
- KES 18,000-35,000
- Mid
- KES 40,000-85,000
- Senior
- KES 95,000-220,000
Exposure
How much of this a machine can already do, and how that was worked out.
Where this rating sits
1,516 rated careersRated above 2% of the 1,516 careers in the catalogue, which averages 43. Inside trades & vocational the mean is 11, across 66 careers.
Named task by task
Already automated
- AI-powered design generation for ornamental ironwork
- Automated material estimation from designs
- AI-assisted pricing and quoting
- Generating product catalogues
Still human
- Forging metal — heating iron/steel in a forge and shaping with hammer and anvil
- Making security gates — welding and forging decorative gates for residential and commercial
- Making window grilles — security grilles for doors and windows
- Making tools — hoes, axes, machetes (pangas), chisels, custom tools
- Making ornamental ironwork — decorative gates, railings, furniture, art pieces
- Welding and fabricating — using arc welding, MIG welding for joining metal
- Heat treating — hardening, tempering, annealing tools and implements
- Managing a smithy — sourcing metal, managing orders, pricing, operating a workshop
Task counts
- Displacing
- Minimal — blacksmithing requires physical skill, heat work and manual fabrication.
- Augmenting
- AI design tools assist with ornamental work.
Sources
Behind the rating- Kenya metal fabrication sector
- Kenya security metalwork market
- Kenya agricultural tools
Getting in
The routes into the role and what each one asks for.
What to study
8 courses- Certificate in Metal Processing TechnologyKsh 42,600a year
- Artisan in Building TechnologyKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Carpentry and JoineryKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Front Office OperationsKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in HorticultureKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Land SurveyingKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in MasonryKsh 67,189a year
- Artisan in Refrigeration and Air ConditioningKsh 67,189a year
How people get in
Apprenticeship at a smithy or metal workshop
3-5 yearsLow cost
Learn blacksmithing through apprenticeship with an experienced blacksmith or metal fabrication workshop
Who hires
- Self-Employed (Smithies)
- Metal Fabrication Workshops
- Construction Companies
- Agricultural Tool Makers
Common misconceptions
Blacksmithing is an obsolete trade
While traditional forging has declined, modern blacksmithing combines forging with welding and fabrication to produce security gates, grilles, tools and ornamental ironwork — an active trade in Kenya.
What happens next
How the role changes from here, and where it leads.
Growth outlook
- Net demand change
- +5%
- Over
- 2026-2028
- Drivers
- Security metalwork demand,Ornamental ironwork,Agricultural tools,Construction gates and grilles
- Headwinds
- Imported metal products,Modern fabrication replacing forging,Physical demands
What to learn
- CNC plasma cutting for decorative metalwork
- Modern welding techniques (MIG, TIG)
- 3D design for ornamental ironwork
- Powder coating and metal finishing
Related careers
Kenyan market notes
Blacksmithing is a traditional trade still practiced in Kenya. Key context: demand for security metalwork (gates, grilles, doors — security is a major concern), agricultural tools (hoes, pangas, axes — farming is widespread), ornamental ironwork (decorative gates, railings — growing with middle class), and hardware (hinges, brackets, custom fittings). Key hubs: Gikomba (Nairobi — metal workshops), industrial area (Nairobi — fabrication), and local workshops in every town. Key materials: mild steel (most common — gates, grilles), carbon steel (tools — hoes, pangas), and wrought iron (ornamental — imported). Key techniques: forging (heating and shaping — traditional), welding (arc, MIG — modern fabrication), and heat treating (hardening tools). Key challenges: declining traditional blacksmithing (modern fabrication replacing hand forging), competition from imported metal products (cheap Chinese gates and tools), and physical demands (heat, heavy lifting). Growing opportunities: ornamental and decorative ironwork (premium market — custom designs), custom tools (specialised agricultural tools), and art metalwork. Salary: entry KES 18,000-35,000 (apprentice), mid KES 40,000-85,000 (skilled blacksmith/fabricator), senior KES 95,000-220,000+ (workshop owner with staff). Per-project earnings: gates KES 15,000-150,000+, grilles KES 5,000-50,000, tools KES 500-5,000.
Further reading
This role is rated 3 out of 100 today. Save it and the app keeps that number, then tells you by how much it has moved when the record is next reviewed.