Careers / Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$51,330
United States, 2025
Employment
52,360
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
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
- O*NET code
- 51-2041.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Study engineering drawings and blueprints to determine materials requirements and task sequences.
- Verify conformance of workpieces to specifications, using squares, rulers, and measuring tapes.
- 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.
- Position or tighten braces, jacks, clamps, ropes, or bolt straps, or bolt parts in position for welding or riveting.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$37,960
25th percentile
$45,610
75th percentile
$61,250
90th percentile
$72,280
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Monitoring2.9
- Operations Monitoring2.9
- Social Perceptiveness2.6
- Time Management2.6
- Coordination2.4
- Operation and Control2.4
- Judgment and Decision Making2.4
- Instructing2.3
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 4 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 2.4 | Not selected | 2.4 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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National median not published
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Compare with Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton, WA | $75,570 | 30 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $68,350 | 690 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $68,280 | 2,290 | 2025 |
| Mobile, AL | $66,820 | 780 | 2025 |
| Kingsport, TN | $66,110 | 70 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $65,980 | 520 | 2025 |
| Davenport, IA | $65,850 | 60 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $65,500 | 230 | 2025 |
| Albany, OR | $65,420 | 50 | 2025 |
| Portland, ME | $64,760 | 590 | 2025 |
| ME | $64,760 | 770 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $64,350 | 440 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $64,230 | 420 | 2025 |
| Mount Vernon, WA | $63,920 | 50 | 2025 |
| Savannah, GA | $63,420 | 30 | 2025 |
| AK | $63,420 | 70 | 2025 |
| Evansville, IN | $63,120 | 230 | 2025 |
| Utica, NY | $62,910 | 50 | 2025 |
| OR | $62,220 | 560 | 2025 |
| Salem, OR | $62,090 | 60 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters 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.