Aluminum welder vs ship fitter

The differences between aluminum welders and ship fitters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an aluminum welder and a ship fitter. Additionally, a ship fitter has an average salary of $45,247, which is higher than the $38,155 average annual salary of an aluminum welder.

The top three skills for an aluminum welder include GMAW, tig welding and arc welding. The most important skills for a ship fitter are hand tools, tack-weld, and tack welding.

Aluminum welder vs ship fitter overview

	Aluminum Welder	Ship Fitter
Yearly salary	$38,155	$45,247
Hourly rate	$18.34	$21.75
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	7,063	9,742
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Aluminum welder vs ship fitter salary

Aluminum welders and ship fitters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Aluminum Welder	Ship Fitter
Average salary	$38,155	$45,247
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $48,000	Between $31,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	Vancouver, WA	Mount Laurel, NJ
Highest paying state	Wyoming	New Jersey
Best paying company	Premier Marine	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between aluminum welder and ship fitter education

There are a few differences between an aluminum welder and a ship fitter in terms of educational background:

	Aluminum Welder	Ship Fitter
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Business
Most common college	-	-

Aluminum welder vs ship fitter demographics

Here are the differences between aluminum welders' and ship fitters' demographics:

	Aluminum Welder	Ship Fitter
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%	Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between aluminum welder and ship fitter duties and responsibilities

Aluminum welder example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Weld aluminum toolboxes on an assembly line using GTAW and GMAW processes.
Inspect castings for any visual defects, used grinders & air tools to remove remaining gates to contour of part.
Perform GMAW on aluminum surfaces.
Build and modify jigs for mass production parts.
Assemble then weld various aluminum and steel parts; assemble military environmental control and power generation trailers.

Ship fitter example responsibilities.

Achieve x-ray certification on aluminum using MIG process.
Lead and assist in executing pipefitting/welding of steel, copper, PVC, and flange piping.
Cut materials with various tools including torches, reciprocating saws, grinders and plasma cutters to ensure exact measurements.
Work includes using torches, grinders and other power tools to cut material to size and prep to weld and paint.
Assemble hoisting and rigging equipment.
Repair and re-fit oil rig platforms.

Aluminum welder vs ship fitter skills

Common aluminum welder skills

GMAW, 16%
Tig Welding, 15%
Arc Welding, 9%
Tape Measure, 4%
Grinders, 4%
Jigs, 4%

Common ship fitter skills

Hand Tools, 14%
Tack-Weld, 10%
Tack Welding, 7%
Tape Measure, 6%
Cranes, 6%
Safety Rules, 5%