Bench hand vs metal fabricator

The differences between bench hands and metal fabricators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a metal fabricator has an average salary of $38,047, which is higher than the $36,500 average annual salary of a bench hand.

The top three skills for a bench hand include hand tools, grinders and cranes. The most important skills for a metal fabricator are MIG, hand tools, and aluminum.

Bench hand vs metal fabricator overview

	Bench Hand	Metal Fabricator
Yearly salary	$36,500	$38,047
Hourly rate	$17.55	$18.29
Growth rate	-5%	-6%
Number of jobs	5,097	4,868
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Bench hand vs metal fabricator salary

Bench hands and metal fabricators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Bench Hand	Metal Fabricator
Average salary	$36,500	$38,047
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $50,000	Between $29,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	Clifton, NJ
Highest paying state	-	Nevada
Best paying company	-	Halliburton
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between bench hand and metal fabricator education

There are a few differences between a bench hand and a metal fabricator in terms of educational background:

	Bench Hand	Metal Fabricator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Bench hand vs metal fabricator demographics

Here are the differences between bench hands' and metal fabricators' demographics:

	Bench Hand	Metal Fabricator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 8.8% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.1% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between bench hand and metal fabricator duties and responsibilities

Bench hand example responsibilities.

Operate various machines including; hones, lathes and surface grinders.
Execute bench, machine and hand tool work in shaping, fitting and assembling forging dies, jigs and fixtures.
Perform all machining operations necessary to build production machinery and tooling to manufacture a wide selection of aerospace fasteners.
Unload trucks using forklift and overhead crane.
Perform in-house calibration on rulers, calipers, digital indicators and leak tester following the approved calibration procedure.

Metal fabricator example responsibilities.

Examine surface of metal to detect defects, such as dents, scratches, or breaks in metal.
Operate band see, chop see, MIG welder, stick welder, and grinders to cut to specifications.
Design and construct jigs, templates, and fixtures.
Test and troubleshoot electrical systems prior to shipment of modules.
Fabricate and erect structural, ornamental, and misc steel.
Apply knowledge of shop mathematics, metal properties, and layouts.

Bench hand vs metal fabricator skills

Common bench hand skills

Hand Tools, 48%
Grinders, 19%
Cranes, 14%
Drill Presses, 10%
Manual Lathes, 6%
Visual Inspections, 2%

Common metal fabricator skills

MIG, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Aluminum, 6%
Press Brake, 6%
Drill Press, 5%
Tape Measure, 5%