Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters: Career Overview
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
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What Tasks Do Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of structural metal fabricators and fitters cover:
- Verify conformance of workpieces to specifications, using squares, rulers, and measuring tapes.
- Study engineering drawings and blueprints to determine materials requirements and task sequences.
- Position, align, fit, and weld parts to form complete units or subunits, following blueprints and layout specifications, and using jigs, welding torches, and hand tools.
- Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to be processed to ensure that specifications are met.
- Tack-weld fitted parts together.
- Move parts into position, manually or with hoists or cranes.
- Set up and operate fabricating machines, such as brakes, rolls, shears, flame cutters, grinders, and drill presses, to bend, cut, form, punch, drill, or otherwise form and assemble metal components.
- Position or tighten braces, jacks, clamps, ropes, or bolt straps, or bolt parts in position for welding or riveting.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective structural metal fabricators and fitters draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Component Fabricator
- Fabricator
- Fitter
- Ground Support Equipment Assembler
- Hand Former
- Industrial Fabricator
- Layout Man
- Machine Cage Maker
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 673,064 structural metal fabricators and fitters working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +4.1% over the projection horizon.
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $47,270 |
| Hourly median | $22.73 |
| 10th percentile | $26,999 |
| 25th percentile | $37,135 |
| 75th percentile | $57,405 |
| 90th percentile | $67,540 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $64,220 |
| Washington | $63,280 |
| Connecticut | $62,240 |
| Massachusetts | $61,220 |
| Oregon | $59,750 |
| California | $56,460 |
| New Jersey | $55,930 |
| Wisconsin | $54,640 |
| New Hampshire | $53,560 |
| Kentucky | $52,710 |
| South Dakota | $52,470 |
| Vermont | $52,190 |
| Minnesota | $51,830 |
| Virginia | $51,640 |
| Idaho | $51,370 |
| Maine | $51,360 |
| Ohio | $51,190 |
| North Dakota | $51,150 |
| Missouri | $50,870 |
| Maryland | $50,800 |
| Texas | $50,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,450 |
| Utah | $50,440 |
| Michigan | $50,160 |
| Oklahoma | $49,790 |
| South Carolina | $49,620 |
| Illinois | $49,250 |
| Iowa | $48,880 |
| North Carolina | $48,780 |
| Alabama | $48,730 |
| Kansas | $48,640 |
| Colorado | $48,550 |
| New Mexico | $48,520 |
| Indiana | $48,390 |
| Georgia | $48,090 |
| Florida | $48,030 |
| New York | $47,990 |
| Nebraska | $47,940 |
| Tennessee | $47,910 |
| Mississippi | $47,700 |
| Louisiana | $47,570 |
| Arizona | $46,590 |
| Nevada | $46,420 |
| West Virginia | $44,360 |
| Delaware | $43,910 |
| Arkansas | $41,930 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,650 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for structural metal fabricators and fitters shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $58,753 | 3.1% | 0.70 |
| Far Western US | $58,545 | 10.3% | 0.77 |
| Great Lakes | $51,218 | 17.8% | 1.66 |
| Southwest | $50,546 | 14.3% | 1.33 |
| Middle Atlantic | $50,349 | 11.6% | 0.82 |
| Rocky Mountains | $50,239 | 3.8% | 1.33 |
| Plains States | $49,970 | 8.3% | 1.30 |
| Southeast | $48,322 | 30.5% | 1.63 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $74,520 | 40 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $73,460 | 610 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $71,050 | 60 |
| Evansville, IN | IN | $70,510 | 180 |
| Bellingham, WA | WA | $69,950 | 40 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | WA | $69,360 | 50 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $69,200 | 40 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $68,610 | 60 |
Which Industries Hire Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
The largest employers of structural metal fabricators and fitters are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 42,900 | $49,920 |
| Construction | 4,380 | $50,890 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 3,030 | $46,590 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,050 | $50,820 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 670 | $55,910 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 540 | $54,820 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 330 | $54,640 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 80 | $48,670 |
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters work in the following industries:
Software Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for structural metal fabricators and fitters reflects the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Contaminants
How to Become Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Entry-level structural metal fabricators and fitters positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Boilermakers (Primary-Long)
- Carpenters (Supplemental)
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers (Primary-Long)
- Sheet Metal Workers (Primary-Short)
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers (Primary-Short)
- Millwrights (Primary-Long)
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (Primary-Short)
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring structural metal fabricators and fitters commonly pursue programs in:
Precision Production
2 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-2041.00 (Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters).
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