← All careers

Skilled Trades

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

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

Median salary (BLS)

$51,330

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$38k – $72k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Plan a path to Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

    Entry / Junior

    $37,960

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

    Established

    $51,330

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

    Senior

    $61,805

Key skills

A typical 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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

Explore all

Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.