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Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $51,330 Median per year · $24.68/hr Most earn $37,960–$72,280

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Mark reference points onto floors or face blocks and transpose them to workpieces, using measuring devices, squares, chalk, and soapstone.
  • Design and construct templates and fixtures, using hand tools.
  • Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to be processed to ensure that specifications are met.
  • Design and construct templates and fixtures, using hand tools.
  • Hammer, chip, and grind workpieces to cut, bend, and straighten metal.
  • Install boilers, containers, and other structures.

Job outlook

United States
6% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 4,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Fabricated metal product manufacturing49.7%
  • Ship and boat building9.8%
  • Machinery manufacturing4.8%
  • Temporary help services3.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 3 to 6 months

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 3 to 6 monthsEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. You can often start with a high school diploma and learn most of the work on the job, usually within about 3 to 6 months of starting as a helper.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build math, blueprint reading, and shop skills so you can understand drawings and measure parts accurately, which is the foundation of this work.

  2. Fabrication Helper (shop or entry-level production job)

    3-6 months

    Help fabricators cut, move, and prepare metal pieces while learning tools, safety rules, and how structural parts are assembled.

  3. Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter

    Ongoing

    Fabricate, position, align, and fit structural metal parts by reading plans, cutting and shaping steel, and checking fit before joining pieces together.

Where it can lead

  1. Layout Worker, Metal

    1-2 years of experience first

    You take on more planning work by marking and measuring where cuts, holes, and parts go from blueprints, which requires precise math and careful reading of plans.

  2. Millwright

    1-2 years of experience first

    You move into installing, repairing, and maintaining heavy machinery and equipment, which requires broader mechanical skills and often more hands-on training.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math classes, especially geometry and trigonometryMeasuring angles, lengths, and fit is a regular part of fabricating and fitting metal parts.
  • Join a shop, welding, or technical education classHands-on practice with tools and metal gives you a head start and shows employers you are interested.
  • Take drafting or CAD classesReading and drawing plans helps you understand the layouts you will work from on the job.
  • Look for a summer or part-time job at a metal, manufacturing, or construction companyEven a helper or cleanup role teaches shop routines, safety, and how a job site runs.
  • Join a Career and Technical Education (CTE) club or a skills competition if your school has oneCompetitions and clubs let you practice measuring and building skills while meeting people in the trade.

In college

  • Take a welding or metal fabrication course at a community collegeShort technical courses teach the cutting, welding, and fitting skills that employers look for in fabricators.
  • Pick up a part-time job in a fabrication shop or manufacturing plantWorking around metal and machines now gives you experience that builds faster than classroom work alone.
  • Learn to read blueprints and use CAD softwareBeing able to read and interpret plans helps you move from helper to fabricator faster.
  • Earn safety certifications you can list on a resumeCertificates like basic workplace safety or equipment training show you take the job seriously.
  • Find a summer internship or co-op with a metal fabrication or construction companyReal job-site experience helps you learn what the work is really like and builds connections for future jobs.

Tips for getting started

  • Take shop, welding, drafting, or CAD classes if your school offers them, since reading blueprints is a daily part of this job.
  • Ask a local fabrication shop, metal works company, or construction firm about summer or part-time helper jobs. Hands-on experience matters a lot in this field.
  • Learn basic safety habits early, like wearing protective gear and using tools correctly, because employers look for people they can trust around heavy metal and machines.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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