Careers / Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$63,870
United States, 2025
Employment
5,970
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Lay out reference points and dimensions on metal or plastic stock or workpieces, such as sheets, plates, tubes, structural shapes, castings, or machine parts, for further processing. Includes shipfitters.
- O*NET code
- 51-4192.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills.
- Plan locations and sequences of cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and welding operations, using compasses, protractors, dividers, and rules.
- Fit and align fabricated parts to be welded or assembled.
- Locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks, height gauges, and dial indicators.
- Plan and develop layouts from blueprints and templates, applying knowledge of trigonometry, design, effects of heat, and properties of metals.
- Lay out and fabricate metal structural parts such as plates, bulkheads, and frames.
- Compute layout dimensions, and determine and mark reference points on metal stock or workpieces for further processing, such as welding and assembly.
- Lift and position workpieces in relation to surface plates, manually or with hoists, and using parallel blocks and angle plates.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$39,980
25th percentile
$50,910
75th percentile
$79,470
90th percentile
$93,860
Most important skills
- Mathematics3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Operations Monitoring3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Operation and Control2.9
- Coordination2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Active Listening2.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 8 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
8
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median not published
Compare with Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticSupplemental
National median not published
Compare with Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticSupplemental
National median $71,550
Compare with Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticSupplemental
National median $46,680
Compare with Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticSupplemental
National median $52,800
Compare with Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticSupplemental
National median $47,920
Compare with Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $123,080 | 50 | 2025 |
| HI | $87,570 | 140 | 2025 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $87,570 | 140 | 2025 |
| WA | $85,300 | 500 | 2025 |
| Bremerton, WA | $79,890 | 440 | 2025 |
| KS | $79,240 | 610 | 2025 |
| Wichita, KS | $79,240 | 590 | 2025 |
| OR | $75,020 | — | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $75,020 | 70 | 2025 |
| ME | $74,530 | 180 | 2025 |
| CA | $74,490 | 480 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $74,490 | 250 | 2025 |
| VA | $70,260 | 1,080 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $69,010 | 80 | 2025 |
| Virginia Beach, VA | $67,540 | 770 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $67,490 | 60 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $64,010 | 40 | 2025 |
| MA | $63,880 | 90 | 2025 |
| NY | $62,700 | 70 | 2025 |
| Detroit, MI | $61,870 | 80 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.