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Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$49900	4100	-16.3%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$49900

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

4100

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

-16.3%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: N.A.

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Detailed Work Activities

Operate welding equipment.
Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Inspect metal, plastic, or composite products.
Lay out parts to prepare for assembly.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
Lift materials or workpieces using cranes or other lifting equipment.
Operate grinding equipment.
Operate cutting equipment.
Shape metal workpieces with hammers or other small hand tools.
Smooth metal surfaces or edges.
Design templates or patterns.
Construct patterns, templates, or other work aids.
Reshape metal workpieces to established specifications.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Direct operational or production activities.
Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
Assemble electromechanical or hydraulic systems.
Assemble temporary equipment or structures.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

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.
Position or tighten braces, jacks, clamps, ropes, or bolt straps, or bolt parts in position for welding or riveting.
Lift or move materials and finished products, using large cranes.
Set up face blocks, jigs, and fixtures.
Align and fit parts according to specifications, using jacks, turnbuckles, wedges, drift pins, pry bars, and hammers.
Hammer, chip, and grind workpieces to cut, bend, and straighten metal.
Locate and mark workpiece bending and cutting lines, allowing for stock thickness, machine and welding shrinkage, and other component specifications.
Remove high spots and cut bevels, using hand files, portable grinders, and cutting torches.
Smooth workpiece edges and fix taps, tubes, and valves.
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.
Direct welders to build up low spots or short pieces with weld.
Heat-treat parts, using acetylene torches.
Straighten warped or bent parts, using sledges, hand torches, straightening presses, or bulldozers.
Erect ladders and scaffolding to fit together large assemblies.
Preheat workpieces to make them malleable, using hand torches or furnaces.
Install boilers, containers, and other structures.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 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. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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