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Date: 08/11/2025

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

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

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  • Work Activities
  • Skills
  • WorkKeys®
  • Abilities
  • Knowledge
  • Career Video
  • Pay
  • Ohio Employment Trends
  • Typical Education
  • Personality
  • Tools
  • Technology
  • Tags
  • 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.
  • Locate and mark workpiece bending and cutting lines, allowing for stock thickness, machine and welding shrinkage, and other component specifications.
  • 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.
  • Move parts into position, manually or with hoists or cranes.
  • Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to be processed to ensure that specifications are met.
  • Straighten warped or bent parts, using sledges, hand torches, straightening presses, or bulldozers.
  • Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to be processed to ensure that specifications are met.
  • Preheat workpieces to make them malleable, using hand torches or furnaces.
  • Hammer, chip, and grind workpieces to cut, bend, and straighten metal.
  • Study engineering drawings and blueprints to determine materials requirements and task sequences.
  • Set up face blocks, jigs, and fixtures.
  • Design and construct templates and fixtures, using hand tools.
  • Mark reference points onto floors or face blocks and transpose them to workpieces, using measuring devices, squares, chalk, and soapstone.
  • Study engineering drawings and blueprints to determine materials requirements and task sequences.
  • Heat-treat parts, using acetylene torches.
  • Align and fit parts according to specifications, using jacks, turnbuckles, wedges, drift pins, pry bars, and hammers.
  • Hammer, chip, and grind workpieces to cut, bend, and straighten metal.
  • Remove high spots and cut bevels, using hand files, portable grinders, and cutting torches.
  • Erect ladders and scaffolding to fit together large assemblies.
  • Design and construct templates and fixtures, using hand tools.
  • Install boilers, containers, and other structures.
  • Remove high spots and cut bevels, using hand files, portable grinders, and cutting torches.
  • Lift or move materials and finished products, using large cranes.
  • 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.
  • Tack-weld fitted parts together.
  • Direct welders to build up low spots or short pieces with weld.
  • Smooth workpiece edges and fix taps, tubes, and valves.
  • Verify conformance of workpieces to specifications, using squares, rulers, and measuring tapes.
  • 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.

Work Activities

Work Activities

  • 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.
  • Locate and mark workpiece bending and cutting lines, allowing for stock thickness, machine and welding shrinkage, and other component specifications.
  • 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.
  • Move parts into position, manually or with hoists or cranes.
  • Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to be processed to ensure that specifications are met.
  • Straighten warped or bent parts, using sledges, hand torches, straightening presses, or bulldozers.
  • Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to be processed to ensure that specifications are met.
  • Preheat workpieces to make them malleable, using hand torches or furnaces.
  • Hammer, chip, and grind workpieces to cut, bend, and straighten metal.
  • Study engineering drawings and blueprints to determine materials requirements and task sequences.
  • Set up face blocks, jigs, and fixtures.
  • Design and construct templates and fixtures, using hand tools.
  • Mark reference points onto floors or face blocks and transpose them to workpieces, using measuring devices, squares, chalk, and soapstone.
  • Study engineering drawings and blueprints to determine materials requirements and task sequences.
  • Heat-treat parts, using acetylene torches.
  • Align and fit parts according to specifications, using jacks, turnbuckles, wedges, drift pins, pry bars, and hammers.
  • Hammer, chip, and grind workpieces to cut, bend, and straighten metal.
  • Remove high spots and cut bevels, using hand files, portable grinders, and cutting torches.
  • Erect ladders and scaffolding to fit together large assemblies.
  • Design and construct templates and fixtures, using hand tools.
  • Install boilers, containers, and other structures.
  • Remove high spots and cut bevels, using hand files, portable grinders, and cutting torches.
  • Lift or move materials and finished products, using large cranes.
  • 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.
  • Tack-weld fitted parts together.
  • Direct welders to build up low spots or short pieces with weld.
  • Smooth workpiece edges and fix taps, tubes, and valves.
  • Verify conformance of workpieces to specifications, using squares, rulers, and measuring tapes.
  • 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.

Skills

  • Equipment Selection

    Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

  • Programming

    Writing computer programs.

  • Repairing

    Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

  • Management of Financial Resources

    Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

  • Mathematics

    Using math to solve problems.

  • Operations Analysis

    Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

  • Troubleshooting

    Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

  • Service Orientation

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • Operation and Control

    Using equipment or systems.

  • Negotiation

    Bringing people together to solve differences.

  • Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • Time Management

    Managing your time and the time of other people.

  • Quality Control Analysis

    Testing how well a product or service works.

  • Technology Design

    Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

  • Systems Analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

  • Social Perceptiveness

    Understanding people's reactions.

  • Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

  • Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • Active Learning

    Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

  • Active Listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • Coordination

    Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

  • Science

    Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

  • Reading Comprehension

    Reading work-related information.

  • Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

  • Installation

    Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

  • Systems Evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • Management of Personnel Resources

    Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

  • Operations Monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

  • Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • Equipment Maintenance

    Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

  • Complex Problem Solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • Judgment and Decision Making

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

  • Critical Thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • Learning Strategies

    Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

  • Management of Material Resources

    Managing equipment and materials.

WorkKeys®

Applied Math
4
Workplace Documents
4
Graphic Literacy
4

Abilities

  • Depth Perception

    Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

  • Fluency of Ideas

    Coming up with lots of ideas.

  • Problem Sensitivity

    Noticing when problems happen.

  • Speech Clarity

    Speaking clearly.

  • Oral Comprehension

    Listening and understanding what people say.

  • Deductive Reasoning

    Using rules to solve problems.

  • Explosive Strength

    Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

  • Perceptual Speed

    Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • Trunk Strength

    Using your lower back and stomach.

  • Multilimb Coordination

    Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • Reaction Time

    Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

  • Dynamic Strength

    Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • Night Vision

    Seeing at night or under low light.

  • Hearing Sensitivity

    Telling the difference between sounds.

  • Manual Dexterity

    Holding or moving items with your hands.

  • Gross Body Equilibrium

    Keeping your balance or staying upright.

  • Speed of Limb Movement

    Quickly moving your arms and legs.

  • Category Flexibility

    Grouping things in different ways.

  • Oral Expression

    Communicating by speaking.

  • Visual Color Discrimination

    Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

  • Flexibility of Closure

    Seeing hidden patterns.

  • Auditory Attention

    Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

  • Time Sharing

    Doing two or more things at the same time.

  • Information Ordering

    Ordering or arranging things.

  • Response Orientation

    Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

  • Gross Body Coordination

    Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

  • Stamina

    Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

  • Written Expression

    Communicating by writing.

  • Speed of Closure

    Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

  • Arm-Hand Steadiness

    Keeping your arm or hand steady.

  • Originality

    Creating new and original ideas.

  • Dynamic Flexibility

    Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • Rate Control

    Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • Spatial Orientation

    Knowing where things are around you.

  • Peripheral Vision

    Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

  • Speech Recognition

    Recognizing spoken words.

  • Finger Dexterity

    Putting together small parts with your fingers.

  • Inductive Reasoning

    Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

  • Near Vision

    Seeing details up close.

  • Far Vision

    Seeing details that are far away.

  • Selective Attention

    Paying attention to something without being distracted.

  • Written Comprehension

    Reading and understanding what is written.

  • Mathematical Reasoning

    Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

  • Number Facility

    Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

  • Sound Localization

    Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

  • Static Strength

    Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

  • Control Precision

    Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • Glare Sensitivity

    Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

  • Memorization

    Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

  • Wrist-Finger Speed

    Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

  • Visualization

    Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • Extent Flexibility

    Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Knowledge

  • Economics and Accounting

    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

  • Biology

    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

  • Philosophy and Theology

    Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

  • Mathematics

    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

  • Geography

    Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

  • Sales and Marketing

    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • Transportation

    Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

  • Physics

    Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

  • Telecommunications

    Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • English Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • Design

    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • Communications and Media

    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

  • Building and Construction

    Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

  • Psychology

    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

  • Chemistry

    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

  • Engineering and Technology

    Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

  • Production and Processing

    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

  • Fine Arts

    Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • Food Production

    Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

  • Law and Government

    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

  • Public Safety and Security

    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

  • Therapy and Counseling

    Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

  • Foreign Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • Mechanical

    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • Sociology and Anthropology

    Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

  • Customer and Personal Service

    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

  • Education and Training

    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • Computers and Electronics

    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • Medicine and Dentistry

    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

  • Administrative

    Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

  • Administration and Management

    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

  • Personnel and Human Resources

    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

  • History and Archeology

    Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

Career Video

Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

Pay

  • Typical Salary
  • $58,960
    $51,190
    $40,430
    Ohio
    US
    $70,510
    $49,900
    $37,370
  • Typical Hourly Wage
  • $28
    $25
    $19
    Ohio
    US
    $34
    $24
    $18

Ohio Employment Trends

  • Currently Employed 1,380
  • Yearly Projected Openings 130

Typical Education

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Cooperation
  • Independence
  • Self Control
  • Integrity

Tools

  • Adjustable wrenches
  • Belt sander
  • Bench vises
  • Blow torch
  • Claw hammer
  • Compasses
  • Desktop computers
  • Dial indicator or dial gauge
  • Drill press or radial drill
  • Forklifts
  • Hacksaw
  • Hand clamps
  • Hand reamer
  • Height gauges
  • Hoists
  • Hydraulic press brake
  • Induction heaters
  • Jacks
  • Ladders
  • Level sensors or transmitters
  • Locking pliers
  • Machine end mill
  • Manual press brake
  • Metal inert gas welding machine
  • Micrometers
  • Milling machines
  • Paint sprayers
  • Personal computers
  • Plasma arc welding machine
  • Positioning jig
  • Power chippers
  • Power grinders
  • Power planes
  • Power riveter
  • Power saws
  • Precision file
  • Protractors
  • Pry bars
  • Punches or nail sets or drifts
  • Rulers
  • Scaffolding
  • Screwdrivers
  • Scribers
  • Shears
  • Sheet metal forming machine
  • Sine bar
  • Sledge hammer
  • Spot welding machine
  • Squares
  • Surface gauge
  • Tape measures
  • Taps
  • Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
  • Track bulldozers
  • Track cranes
  • Tungsten inert gas welding machine
  • Turnbuckles
  • Wedges
  • Welder torch

Technology

  • Computer aided design CAD software
  • Electronic mail software
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • Office suite software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Word processing software

Tags

  • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.
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