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Date: 04/30/2025

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

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

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

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

    Skills

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operations Analysis

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

    • Equipment Selection

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

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Troubleshooting

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

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • 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.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Systems Analysis

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

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Coordination

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

    • Monitoring

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

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Systems Evaluation

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

    • Operations Monitoring

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

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

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

    • Complex Problem Solving

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

    • Learning Strategies

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

    • Critical Thinking

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

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Depth Perception

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

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Perceptual Speed

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

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Reaction Time

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

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Auditory Attention

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

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Multilimb Coordination

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

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

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

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Gross Body Coordination

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

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Response Orientation

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

    • Rate Control

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

    • Inductive Reasoning

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

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Glare Sensitivity

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

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Visualization

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

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

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

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Extent Flexibility

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

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Control Precision

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

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    Knowledge

    • 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.

    • Biology

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

    • Economics and Accounting

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

    • Mathematics

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • English Language

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

    • Telecommunications

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

    • Design

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

    • 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.

    • Fine Arts

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

    • Law and Government

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

    • 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.

    • Production and Processing

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

    • 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.

    • Food Production

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • History and Archeology

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

    • 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.

    • Mechanical

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

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Computers and Electronics

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

    • 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.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

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

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 49530/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 23.81/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    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

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