Production
Structural metal fabricators and fitters
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
Median pay
$51,330
Growth to 2035
−6%
declining
Openings a year
4,800
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Structural metal fabricators and fitters
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to structural metal fabricators and fitters
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Structural metal fabricators and fitters: 65% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
Also called: Fabricator · Fitter · Layout Man · Metal Fabricator · Mill Beam Fitter · Ship Fitter · Small Parts Fabricator · Steel Fabricator
Outlook and AI
Structural metal fabricators and fitters held 52,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 49,000 by 2035 (−6%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Productivity change - share decreases as collaborative robotics increase efficiency, allowing more output to be produced with the same amount of labor.
Compare with
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Layout workers, metal and plastic
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Sheet metal worker
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Structural iron and steel workers
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Tool and die makers
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Welder
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Millwright
- Structural metal fabricators and fitters vs. Boilermaker