Production · Holland code RCI
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
Also called: Fabricator, Fitter, Layout Man, Ship Fitter, Metal Fabricator, Mill Beam Fitter, Small Parts Fabricator, Steel Fabricator.
O*NET 51-2041.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $51,330
- Middle half earn $45,610 to $61,250. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 77% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
- Mark reference points onto floors or face blocks and transpose them to workpieces, using measuring devices, squares, chalk, and soapstone.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.0 / 5
- Active Listening3.0 / 5
- Speaking3.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
- Monitoring2.9 / 5
- Writing2.3 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Mathematics3.4 / 5
- Production and Processing3.3 / 5
- Mechanical3.3 / 5
- English Language3.0 / 5
- Administration and Management2.9 / 5
- Education and Training2.8 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative27
- Artistic12
- Social0
- Enterprising2
- Conventional49
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- structural ironwork supervisor · DE Polier Metallarbeiten/Polierin Metallarbeiten · FR superviseur de charpentiers en structures métalliques/superviseuse de charpentiers en structures métalliques
- welder · DE Schweißer/Schweißerin · FR soudeur/soudeuse
- electron beam welder · DE Elektronenstrahlschweißer/Elektronenstrahlschweißerin · FR soudeur par bombardement d’électrons/soudeuse par bombardement d’électrons
- spot welder · DE Punktschweißer/Punktschweißerin · FR soudeur par point/soudeuse par point
- coppersmith · DE Kupferschmied/Kupferschmiedin · FR chaudronnier/chaudronnière de cuivre
- sheet metal worker · DE Konstruktionsmechaniker Fachrichtung Feinblechbau/Konstruktionsmechanikerin Fachrichtung Feinblechbau · FR tôlier/ tôlière
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Construction and building trades supervisors (5330)53,100 employed
- Welding trades (5213)49,800 employed
- Steel erectors (5311)8,200 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €40,086 |
| Germany | €38,638 |
| Austria | €38,194 |
| Sweden | €37,856 |
| Netherlands | €37,077 |
| Ireland | €36,098 |
| France | €27,145 |
| Italy | €26,488 |
| Spain | €22,817 |
| Portugal | €11,142 |
| Poland | €10,099 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.08. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-2041).
Related careers
Is it a fit for you?
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