Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Production · SOC 51-2041 · O*NET 51-2041.00
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters fall under the Production category in the U.S. occupational classification. Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters earn a median salary of $49,900 per year, ranking in the top 62% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -16.3% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do structural metal fabricators and fitters earn?
The median annual wage for structural metal fabricators and fitters is $49,900. That puts structural metal fabricators and fitters at #504 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $37,370 |
| 25th percentile | $44,290 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $49,900 |
| 75th percentile | $59,810 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $70,510 |
| Median hourly wage | $23.99/hr |
Is structural metal fabricators and fitters a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for structural metal fabricators and fitters is -16.3%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 53K positions in 2024 to 45K in 2034, a net change of -8K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do structural metal fabricators and fitters do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working structural metal fabricators and fitters, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.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.
- 2.Set up face blocks, jigs, and fixtures.
- 3.Smooth workpiece edges and fix taps, tubes, and valves.
- 4.Tack-weld fitted parts together.
- 5.Verify conformance of workpieces to specifications, using squares, rulers, and measuring tapes.
- 6.Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to be processed to ensure that specifications are met.
- 7.Lift or move materials and finished products, using large cranes.
- 8.Remove high spots and cut bevels, using hand files, portable grinders, and cutting torches.
Top skills for structural metal fabricators and fitters
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become structural metal fabricators and fitter?
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters typically enter the field through a formal apprenticeship, technical certification, or vocational training program — a strong fit for teens who prefer hands-on learning over traditional college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about structural metal fabricators and fitters
What is the median salary for structural metal fabricators and fitters?
The median annual salary for structural metal fabricators and fitters is $49,900 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is structural metal fabricators and fitters a growing career?
BLS projects -16.3% growth for structural metal fabricators and fitters from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become structural metal fabricators and fitter?
The typical entry path requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to structural metal fabricators and fitters?
Related occupations within the Production category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.