Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
What Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Do
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 0.8%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mathematicsimportance 3.4/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.3/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.3/5
- English Languageimportance 3.0/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.8/5
- Designimportance 2.8/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.7/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.6/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.6/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.5/5
- Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers93% skill match
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers92% skill match
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers92% skill match
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic92% skill match
- Food Batchmakers91% skill match
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers91% skill match
- Bridge and Lock Tenders91% skill match
- Rock Splitters, Quarry90% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.9/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.6/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.6/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.4/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.4/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.4/5
- Instructingimportance 2.3/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.3/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Tekla software
- Three-dimensional modeling software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where structural metal fabricators and fitters make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA14.60× national avg
- 2Mobile, AL13.40× national avg
- 3Elkhart-Goshen, IN9.50× national avg
- 4Lafayette, LA6.11× national avg
- 5Portland-South Portland, ME6.10× national avg
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist
- Tulsa Welding School-Houston (Houston, TX)grads earn ~$47,367
- Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL)grads earn ~$47,367
- Ivy Tech Community College (Indianapolis, IN)grads earn ~$53,579
- Front Range Community College (Westminster, CO)grads earn ~$52,873
- Tulsa Welding School-Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)grads earn ~$47,367