Best programs to become a structural metal fabricator
You do not need a college degree to become a structural metal fabricator. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Machine Shop Technology/Assistant and Metal Fabricator (IPEDS completions).
2 college programs at 105 schools train structural metal fabricators and fitters, graduating 2,130 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $51,330 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About structural metal fabricators and fitters
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
Best programs to study to become a structural metal fabricator
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 48.0503 | 1,542 | 72.4% | 87 | $36,566 | $9,429 |
| 2 | CIP 48.0511 | 588 | 27.6% | 24 | $36,566 | $9,429 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What structural metal fabricators and fitters earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $55,250 | 450 | 0.67× | 13 | 468 |
| Wisconsin | $56,310 | 1,810 | 1.83× | 7 | 230 |
| Georgia | $50,010 | 560 | 0.34× | 15 | 189 |
| Indianalimited | $60,180 | 3,870 | 3.59× | 1 | 170 |
| Florida | $46,880 | 2,950 | 0.88× | 9 | 128 |
| Californialimited | $57,590 | 3,420 | 0.56× | 1 | 103 |
| Missourimoderate | $53,610 | 550 | 0.56× | 3 | 100 |
| Alabamamoderate | $52,220 | 2,130 | 3.00× | 3 | 88 |
| Illinois | $55,380 | 1,910 | 0.93× | 5 | 80 |
| North Carolina | $48,990 | 1,070 | 0.64× | 10 | 64 |
| Pennsylvaniamoderate | $51,640 | 1,690 | 0.83× | 4 | 45 |
| Oklahomalimited | $50,380 | 710 | 1.24× | 2 | 43 |
| Utahlimited | $48,130 | 780 | 1.34× | 2 | 40 |
| Oregonmoderate | $62,220 | 560 | 0.85× | 4 | 37 |
| Michiganmoderate | $47,950 | 1,270 | 0.85× | 3 | 29 |
| West Virginialimited | $46,880 | 180 | 0.75× | 1 | 27 |
| Minnesotalimited | $56,210 | 640 | 0.65× | 2 | 23 |
| Arizonalimited | $48,150 | 940 | 0.86× | 2 | 20 |
| New Yorklimited | $55,080 | 2,040 | 0.62× | 2 | 19 |
| Coloradomoderate | $51,120 | 330 | 0.35× | 4 | 17 |
| Tennesseelimited | $50,460 | 2,260 | 2.05× | 2 | 16 |
| Arkansaslimited | $41,260 | 640 | 1.46× | 1 | 13 |
| South Carolinalimited | $46,910 | 1,020 | 1.31× | 1 | 13 |
| Texaslimited | $48,490 | 4,440 | 0.94× | 1 | 10 |
| Ohiolimited | $52,300 | 1,090 | 0.58× | 1 | 7 |
| Alaskalimited | $63,420 | 70 | 0.62× | 1 | 5 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills
- Active Listening3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Monitoring2.9
- Writing2.3
- Active Learning2.3
- Mathematics2.1
Knowledge areas
- Mathematics3.4
- Production and Processing3.3
- Mechanical3.3
- English Language3.0
- Administration and Management2.9
- Education and Training2.8
Abilities
- Near Vision3.3
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.3
- Multilimb Coordination3.1
- Control Precision3.1
- Manual Dexterity3.1
- Static Strength3.1
Core activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2
- Controlling Machines and Processes4.1
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.0
- Handling and Moving Objects4.0
- Performing General Physical Activities3.9
- Getting Information3.9
How to get in
How to become a structural metal fabricator
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
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.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 2 majors mapped to Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 48.0503Machine Shop Technology/Assistant
- 48.0511Metal Fabricator
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a structural metal fabricator?+
You do not need a college degree to become a structural metal fabricator. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Machine Shop Technology/Assistant and Metal Fabricator (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a structural metal fabricator?+
The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Machine Shop Technology/Assistant and Metal Fabricator (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this job, which together graduate about 2,130 people a year.
How much do structural metal fabricators and fitters earn?+
The median is $51,330 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $37,960 at the 10th percentile to $72,280 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for structural metal fabricators and fitters growing?+
BLS projects a -16.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 4,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
105 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do structural metal fabricators and fitters work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Fitter, Fabricator, Layout Man, Ship Fitter among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-2041.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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