Average 300 Series Stainless Steel Price

180-day market: price lists from 4 yards. As of 2/17/2026.
$0.25/ lb -$0.45 (10.8%)
GT = Gross Ton (2240 lbs)
Avg: $0.25
Lowest price $0.20
Highest price$0.40Who pays the most? ⟶
How to read a yard's offer
  • Low (up to $0.20): Floor price, typically for small loads.
  • Mid ($0.25): A fair deal for standard quantities.
  • High ($0.40+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
52-week price range
Over the past year, prices ranged from $0.20 to $4.14.
Mar '25Jun '25Sep '25Dec '25Today
Market response to LME pricing
Spread vs. exchange (180-day avg): ~96.7% (-$7.42/lb). Typical spread for this grade: 40%–68%
⚠️ Local prices haven’t caught up with the exchange yet
Market snapshot
Stable market. Prices have held steady over the past 6 months.
Pricing verified from 4 live board rates today.

Top Paying Scrap Yards for 300 Series Stainless West Virginia

Don't settle for the first quote you get at the scale. Scrap yards in West Virginia have varying rates for 300 Series Stainless Steel based on their current inventory and downstream buyers. Call ahead to confirm their current payout against the national average of $0.40 per pound and ask about minimum weight requirements for premium pricing.

💼 Scrap yard owners: Post your buy prices and get more customers
By price
By date
Updated 32 days ago

West Virginia Cashin Recyclables

Listed as: Stainless
1 Pickens Rd Get Directions
$0.40 / lb
Updated 32 days ago

Three Rivers Iron Metal

Listed as: Stainless (non-magnetic)
500 Virginia Ave Get Directions
$0.20 / lb
Updated 32 days ago

Elkins Metal Recycling

Listed as: Stainless (non-magnetic)
1401 15th St Get Directions
$0.20 / lb
Updated 70 days ago

Ashley Metal Recycling LLC

Listed as: Stainless (non-magnetic)
119 Commercial St Get Directions
$0.20 / lb

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Hundreds of people search here every day for the best scrap metal prices. Start capturing ready-to-sell leads today.

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How 300 Series Stainless Compares to Other Alloys

The #1 rule at scrap yards: if you mix grades, they’ll weigh everything at the lowest rate. See the price gap below — if you have higher-value metal, always sort and weigh each grade separately to avoid leaving money on the table.

Sort separately
316 Stainless Steel Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.50 / lb How to sort?
Mix it with 300 Series Stainless Steel?They’ll pay $0.25 for all of it
Loss if not sorted:-$0.25 per lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Sort separately
304 Stainless Steel Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.30 / lb How to sort?
Mix it with 300 Series Stainless Steel?They’ll pay $0.25 for all of it
Loss if not sorted:-$0.05 per lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Stainless Steel Turnings Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$0.17 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics

300 Series Stainless Steel Price Trends & Market History

This chart shows where the market is headed. If the line is climbing, prices are rising — you might get a better deal in a few days. If it’s dropping, don’t wait: sell today before yards lower their buy prices further.

300 Series Stainless Steel: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (LME)

Avg scrap yard price

$0.25
Scrap metal dealers
Spread: -$7.42/lb
vs. exchange

World market price (LME)

$7.6733
✓ For 99.9% pure refined metal
💡 Why is the scrap yard price lower than the exchange? The LME price is the global benchmark for 99.99% pure refined metal traded in large institutional contracts. The gap between LME and what you pocket is the yard’s margin — it covers sorting, cleaning, transport to the mill, and protects them against sudden price drops.

300 Series Stainless Steel: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History

Analyst take: This month’s average spread between scrap yard prices and the world market for 300 Series Stainless Steel is 96.7%. That’s in line with the typical range for this grade (94%–100%). Local yards are offering fair market rates. Check offers in your area ↑
PeriodWorld price (per lb)Scrap yard price (per lb)Spread vs. exchange
March 2026 (current)$7.841267$3.23-$4.61 (58.8%)
February 2026$7.846832$3.48-$4.37 (55.7%)
January 2026$8.09$3.68-$4.41 (54.5%)
December 2025$6.824471$4.09-$2.73 (40%)
November 2025$6.698093$3.63-$3.07 (45.8%)
October 2025$6.907923$3.52-$3.39 (49.1%)
September 2025$6.933847$4.16-$2.77 (40%)
August 2025$6.901329$2.64-$4.26 (61.8%)
July 2025$6.957161$4.17-$2.78 (40%)
June 2025$6.90039$4.14-$2.76 (40%)
May 2025$7.089084$4.25-$2.84 (40%)
April 2025$7.016723$4.21-$2.81 (40%)
March 2025$7.337168$4.40-$2.94 (40%)
February 2025$6.967771$4.18-$2.79 (40%)
January 2025$7.050497$4.23-$2.82 (40%)
December 2024$7.09689$4.26-$2.84 (40%)
November 2024$7.17788$3.26-$3.92 (54.6%)
October 2024$7.710884$4.63-$3.08 (40%)
September 2024$7.435537$4.46-$2.98 (40%)
August 2024$7.453077$4.47-$2.98 (40%)
July 2024$7.492252$4.50-$3.00 (40%)
June 2024$8.077503$4.85-$3.23 (40%)
May 2024$8.950684$5.37-$3.58 (40%)
April 2024$8.30665$4.98-$3.32 (40%)
March 2024$7.984839$4.36-$3.63 (45.4%)
February 2024$7.453924$3.71-$3.74 (50.2%)
January 2024$7.388119$4.43-$2.96 (40%)
December 2023$7.580055$4.55-$3.03 (40%)
November 2023$7.753813$4.65-$3.10 (40%)
October 2023$8.366145$5.02-$3.35 (40%)
September 2023$9.03705$5.42-$3.61 (40%)
August 2023$9.420097$5.65-$3.77 (40%)
July 2023$9.725887$5.84-$3.89 (40%)
June 2023$9.83506$4.32-$5.51 (56.1%)
May 2023$10.182919$4.68-$5.50 (54%)
April 2023$10.81192$6.49-$4.33 (40%)
March 2023$10.626477$4.26-$6.36 (59.9%)
February 2023$12.121661$6.45-$5.67 (46.8%)
January 2023$12.867948$5.77-$7.10 (55.2%)
December 2022$13.219468$6.72-$6.50 (49.1%)
November 2022$11.57742$5.59-$5.99 (51.7%)
October 2022$9.99011$5.65-$4.34 (43.5%)
September 2022$10.35239$5.09-$5.27 (50.9%)
August 2022$10.066768$6.04-$4.03 (40%)
July 2022$9.821994$5.89-$3.93 (40%)
June 2022$11.784327$4.83-$6.96 (59%)
May 2022$12.890613$4.16-$8.73 (67.7%)
April 2022$15.040157$9.03-$6.02 (40%)
March 2022$16.964532$10.18-$6.79 (40%)
February 2022$10.79895$6.48-$4.32 (40%)
January 2022$10.022952$3.73-$6.29 (62.8%)
December 2021$9.042761$4.10-$4.94 (54.6%)
November 2021$9.019177$5.41-$3.61 (40%)
October 2021$8.762029$5.26-$3.50 (40%)
September 2021$8.825403$5.30-$3.53 (40%)
August 2021$8.67921$4.73-$3.95 (45.5%)
July 2021$8.555339$4.34-$4.22 (49.3%)
June 2021$8.163057$3.75-$4.41 (54%)
May 2021$7.995468$4.80-$3.20 (40%)
April 2021$7.47665$4.49-$2.99 (40%)
March 2021$7.439232$4.31-$3.13 (42%)
February 2021$8.454471$3.88-$4.58 (54.2%)
January 2021$8.061352$3.63-$4.43 (54.9%)
December 2020$7.674674$4.60-$3.07 (40%)
November 2020$7.187513$4.31-$2.88 (40%)
October 2020$6.920142$4.15-$2.77 (40%)
September 2020$6.758627$3.09-$3.67 (54.3%)
August 2020$6.625797$3.64-$2.99 (45.1%)
July 2020$6.104119$3.11-$3.00 (49.1%)
June 2020$5.82826$3.50-$2.33 (40%)
May 2020$5.534106$3.32-$2.21 (40%)
April 2020$5.36014$3.22-$2.14 (40%)
March 2020$5.406384$3.24-$2.16 (40%)
February 2020$5.774821$3.46-$2.31 (40%)
January 2020$6.173287$3.70-$2.47 (40%)
December 2019$6.329984$2.70-$3.63 (57.4%)
November 2019$6.922517$3.09-$3.83 (55.3%)
October 2019$7.720345$4.63-$3.09 (40%)
September 2019$7.974567$3.61-$4.36 (54.7%)
August 2019$7.140342$3.12-$4.02 (56.3%)
July 2019$6.1845$3.71-$2.47 (40%)
June 2019$5.454873$3.27-$2.18 (40%)
May 2019$5.471665$3.28-$2.19 (40%)
April 2019$5.818767$3.49-$2.33 (40%)
March 2019$5.939965$2.70-$3.24 (54.5%)
February 2019$5.769471$3.46-$2.31 (40%)
January 2019$5.232358$3.14-$2.09 (40%)
December 2018$4.957397$2.36-$2.60 (52.4%)
November 2018$5.156403$3.00-$2.15 (41.8%)
October 2018$5.613542$3.37-$2.25 (40%)
September 2018$5.731987$3.44-$2.29 (40%)
August 2018$6.102935$2.81-$3.29 (54%)
July 2018$6.294803$3.78-$2.52 (40%)
June 2018$6.871184$3.96-$2.91 (42.3%)

300 Series Stainless Steel Scrap Price History — Daily Data

A day-by-day market snapshot in exact numbers. Every day we aggregate buy prices from local scrap yards, recording the average, low, and high. Use this table to track real price movement over recent days.

DateAvg price (per lb)ChangeRange (Low/High)
2/17/2026$0.40 / lb+$0.20$0.40 - $0.40
1/10/2026$0.20 / lb-$0.05$0.20 - $0.20
11/3/2025$0.25 / lb— no change$0.25 - $0.25
8/30/2025$0.25 / lb— no change$0.25 - $0.25
8/26/2025$0.25 / lb-$0.20$0.25 - $0.25
11/9/2024$0.45 / lb+$0.10$0.45 - $0.45
3/3/2024$0.35 / lb+$0.05$0.35 - $0.35
6/20/2023$0.30 / lb— no change$0.30 - $0.30
5/30/2023$0.30 / lb-$0.05$0.30 - $0.30
3/28/2023$0.35 / lb— no change$0.35 - $0.35
3/25/2023$0.35 / lb+$0.05$0.35 - $0.35
2/3/2023$0.30 / lb-$0.05$0.30 - $0.30
1/31/2023$0.35 / lb+$0.10$0.35 - $0.35
12/5/2022$0.25 / lb— no change$0.25 - $0.25
12/2/2022$0.25 / lb-$0.15$0.25 - $0.25
10/2/2022$0.40 / lb— no change$0.40 - $0.40
6/29/2022$0.40 / lb— no change$0.40 - $0.40
6/28/2022$0.40 / lb— no change$0.40 - $0.40
6/26/2022$0.40 / lb-$0.10$0.40 - $0.40
5/25/2022$0.50 / lb-$0.10$0.50 - $0.50
5/16/2022$0.60 / lb+$0.10$0.60 - $0.60
1/29/2022$0.50 / lb+$0.05$0.50 - $0.50
1/27/2022$0.45 / lb+$0.10$0.45 - $0.45
1/25/2022$0.35 / lb— no change$0.35 - $0.35
12/9/2021$0.35 / lb-$0.05$0.35 - $0.35
8/3/2021$0.40 / lb-$0.05$0.40 - $0.40
6/23/2021$0.45 / lb+$0.05$0.45 - $0.45
3/1/2021$0.40 / lb+$0.15$0.40 - $0.40
1/20/2021$0.25 / lb-$0.10$0.25 - $0.25
9/25/2020$0.35 / lb+$0.05$0.35 - $0.35
8/3/2020$0.30 / lb-$0.05$0.30 - $0.30
12/14/2019$0.35 / lb+$0.05$0.35 - $0.35
12/12/2019$0.30 / lb+$0.10$0.30 - $0.30
11/17/2019$0.20 / lb-$0.20$0.20 - $0.20
9/18/2019$0.40 / lb+$0.15$0.40 - $0.40
8/26/2019$0.25 / lb-$0.05$0.25 - $0.25
8/25/2019$0.30 / lb+$0.10$0.30 - $0.30
3/20/2019$0.20 / lb-$0.10$0.20 - $0.20
12/7/2018$0.30 / lb-$0.05$0.30 - $0.30
8/18/2018$0.35 / lb+$0.05$0.35 - $0.35

Cashing In On 300 Series Stainless Steel

If you are tearing out commercial kitchen equipment, industrial piping, or brewery kegs, you are likely dealing with a massive amount of 300 Series Stainless Steel. Right now, national buyers are offering anywhere from $0.30 for mixed or slightly contaminated loads, up to $0.74 for perfectly clean, sorted material. The national average sits around $0.40 per pound. Because this alloy is heavy, even a fraction of a cent makes a huge difference in your final ticket.

Yard Pro Tip: The magnet is your best friend, but it can trick you. 300 Series Stainless is generally non-magnetic because of its high nickel content. However, if the metal has been severely cold-worked (like bent, deeply drawn, or machined), the edges might hold a slight magnetic pull. Don't let a green scale operator downgrade your load to 400 series (which is strongly magnetic and pays significantly less) just because of a faint pull on a bent corner. If they push back, demand a spark test—300 series throws short, reddish-orange sparks with very few sprigs.

Don't Leave Money on the Scale: Sorting and Grading

Mixing your stainless grades is the fastest way to kill your payload value. Yards will always buy a mixed bin at the lowest grade's price. If you toss premium 316 Stainless Steel in with your standard 300 series, you are losing about $0.37 per pound on the 316 material. Take the time to separate.

  • Clean vs. Dirty: A clean load means zero attachments. Remove all plastic handles, rubber gaskets, steel screws, and brass fittings. A "dirty" stainless load drops your payout instantly, often by half.
  • Know the Relatives: Standard 304 Stainless Steel (frequently referred to in the industry as 18/8 Stainless Steel) makes up the bulk of the 300 series market. If it looks like standard kitchen prep tables or sinks, it is usually 304.

Market Drivers and Pricing Trends

Stainless prices are heavily tied to the nickel market traded on the LME. Currently, scrap rates are hovering about 96.7% below spot prices. Local yards in West Virginia adjust their boards based on these global movements, alongside their own freight and processing costs. Keeping an eye on nickel futures will give you a strong indicator of where 300 series prices are heading next.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current price for 300 Series Stainless Steel?

Prices fluctuate daily based on global nickel demand, but our data shows national averages at $0.40 per pound, with pristine, high-volume loads hitting up to $0.74. Always check with your local buyer to lock in a rate before hauling.

Is 304 the same as 300 Series?

Yes, 304 is the most common alloy within the 300 series family. If a yard quotes you a general 300 series price, they are almost always pricing based on standard 304 stainless.

How much money do I lose by not sorting my stainless?

If you mix higher-value alloys like 316 with standard 300 series, you lose the premium. For instance, the national spread for 316 is currently $0.70 to $0.90/lb. By throwing it all in one gaylord box, you force the yard to pay you the lower 300 series rate for the entire batch.