Career
Structural metal fabricators and fitters
Fabricate and fit structural metal.
$51,330
Median pay
-6.2%
Job growth, 2025–35
4,800
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Verify conformance of workpieces to specifications, using squares, rulers, and measuring tapes.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $51,330 a year and 4,800 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Machine Shop Technology/AssistantCIP 48.0503
- Metal FabricatorCIP 48.0511
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$65,380 · -5.6%
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic$63,870 · -3.4%
- Sheet Metal Workers$61,800 · +2.5%
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers$62,780 · +3.1%
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,920 · -8.9%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.