Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Salary: $58,747 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 53,380 structural metal fabricators and fitters nationally earn a mean of $58,747. Projections imply about 6.9% annual decline; much hiring sits in manufacturing.
Key Statistics
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters: what the data shows
Common questions about structural metal fabricators and fitters careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a structural metal fabricators and fitters?
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-2041.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 53,380 workers.
What does a structural metal fabricators and fitters do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a structural metal fabricators and fitters make?
BLS national median annual wage: $49,900 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $58,747 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41,111 |
| 25th percentile | $47,626 |
| Median (50th) | $57,926 |
| 75th percentile | $67,283 |
| 90th percentile | $76,117 |
What education do you need?
For Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Mathematics, Building and Construction, Design. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is structural metal fabricators and fitters in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -30.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -51.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 53,380.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do structural metal fabricators and fitterss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 53,380 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 53,300 | 20.1% |
| Manufacturing | 42,900 | 16.2% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 27,600 | 10.4% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 23,960 | 9.0% |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 6,880 | 2.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | 3,230 | $62,700 |
| Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other | 20,270 | $42,750 |
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 14,590 | $47,450 |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | 23,420 | $49,140 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | 117,470 | $60,850 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters workforce.
Employment Over Time
53,380 Workforce in 2023
The Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$58,747 Average Wage
In 2023, Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters earned an average of $58,747.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Salary distribution for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Employment Growth Projections
-6.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
6,911 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -30.0%
4,834 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -51.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Wage Trends by Industry
13.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 6,220 employees, $53,110 avg wage
- WI: 2,920 employees, $54,230 avg wage
- CA: 2,680 employees, $57,260 avg wage
- PA: 2,410 employees, $51,420 avg wage
- TN: 2,380 employees, $48,150 avg wage
- FL: 2,150 employees, $47,660 avg wage
- AL: 2,150 employees, $51,120 avg wage
- IN: 1,910 employees, $51,300 avg wage
- LA: 1,850 employees, $47,650 avg wage
- NY: 1,800 employees, $52,040 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2,450 employees, $55,010 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,530 employees, $55,350 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,390 employees, $52,870 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,040 employees, $53,950 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 780 employees, $62,200 avg wage
- Mobile, AL: 750 employees, $58,240 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 690 employees, $55,100 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 680 employees, $63,780 avg wage
- Madison, WI: 680 employees, $55,720 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 610 employees, $77,360 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Diversity
Demographic information on Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters in 2023 was 53,380 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters workers.
Education level distribution for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Skills
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness.
Required skills for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters include Mechanical, Mathematics, Building and Construction, Design, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Near Vision, Visualization.
Required abilities for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
Daily Activities
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.
Most important work activities for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters.
About
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
The average yearly wage for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters was $58,747 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-2041 - Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters reports an average salary of $58,747.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 53,380 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -6.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.