Metal Fabricator Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Metal Fabricator maps to BLS occupations averaging about $55,887, with roughly 146,400 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $4,267; common paths include Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Model Makers, Metal and Plastic.
Key Statistics
Metal Fabricator: what the data shows
Common questions about metal fabricator degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a metal fabricator degree?
A Metal Fabricator program is classified under NCES CIP 48.0511 in the Precision Metal Working field family (48.05).
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to further process ferrous and/or non-ferrous metal plates or shapes, and to manufacture and/or install products as interpreted through technical drawings. Includes instruction in trade tools, shop equipment, reading and interpreting blueprints, material handling, welding, thermal cutting, metallurgy, template pattern development, plate and structural fabrication, destructive and non-destructive testing, inspection, shipment preparation and fabrication installation
Types of metal fabricator degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 48.05 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist (CIP 48.0510)
- Ironworking/Ironworker (CIP 48.0509)
- Machine Shop Technology/Assistant (CIP 48.0503)
- Machine Tool Technology/Machinist (CIP 48.0501)
- Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking (CIP 48.0506)
- Tool and Die Technology/Technician (CIP 48.0507)
- Welding (CIP 48.0508)
How long does it take to get a metal fabricator degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 48.0511 in our file:
- 72 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a metal fabricator degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Metal Fabricator to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | 3,230 | $62,700 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 53,380 | $49,900 |
| 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 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a metal fabricator degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $4,267 and median net price is $8,384.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Metal Fabricator and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$4,267 Median In-State Public
$16,657 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Metal Fabricator majors are, on average, $4,267 for in-state public colleges, and $16,657 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Metal Fabricator programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Metal Fabricator from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Metal Fabricator.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 |
| 2 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 |
| 3 | Lone Star College System | TX | 45,188 |
| 4 | Lone Star College System | TX | 45,188 |
| 5 | Brigham Young University-Idaho | ID | 44,397 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Metal Fabricator programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 2 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 3 | Taft College | CA | $1,108 |
| 4 | Taft College | CA | $1,108 |
| 5 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Metal Fabricator programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 2 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 3 | Fort Peck Community College | MT | $400 |
| 4 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 5 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Metal Fabricator programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Metal Fabricator programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 48.05 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist CIP 48.0510
- Ironworking/Ironworker CIP 48.0509
- Machine Shop Technology/Assistant CIP 48.0503
- Machine Tool Technology/Machinist CIP 48.0501
- Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking CIP 48.0506
- Tool and Die Technology/Technician CIP 48.0507
- Welding CIP 48.0508
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 48.0511 in the survey year used in our extract (72 total across levels below).
- 72 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $55,887. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Metal Fabricator graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $48,139 | 31,510 |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | $88,285 | 3,230 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | $58,747 | 53,380 |
| Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other | $49,370 | 20,270 |
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $53,782 | 14,590 |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | $62,277 | 23,420 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$55,887 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Metal Fabricator majors is $55,887.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Metal Fabricator majors.
Occupations by Share
146,400 2023 Workforce
The number of Metal Fabricator graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Metal Fabricator by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Metal Fabricator in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Metal Fabricator.
Age distribution for Metal Fabricator degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
552 Total Degrees Awarded
518 Male (93.84%)
34 Female (6.16%)
Gender distribution of Metal Fabricator degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
270 White (48.91%)
222 Hispanic or Latino (40.22%)
26 Two or More Races (4.71%)
15 Black or African American (2.72%)
7 American Indian/Alaska Native (1.27%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Metal Fabricator degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Metal Fabricator are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Metal Fabricator.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Metal Fabricator field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Metal Fabricator majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Metal Fabricator majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Metal Fabricator majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to further process ferrous and/or non-ferrous metal plates or shapes, and to manufacture and/or install products as interpreted through technical drawings. Includes instruction in trade tools, shop equipment, reading and interpreting blueprints, material handling, welding, thermal cutting, metallurgy, template pattern development, plate and structural fabrication, destructive and non-destructive testing, inspection, shipment preparation and fabrication installation
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Metal Fabricator.
CIP Code
48.0511 - Metal Fabricator
What the data shows
Men earned 6.2% of 552 Metal Fabricator completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $55,887. The largest mapped role by headcount is Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (31,510 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $4,267 in-state at public colleges and $16,657 at private institutions for programs in this field.
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 U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.