What does a fabrication technician do?
Fabrication technicians are skilled employees who are responsible for using specialized equipment to assemble components for a variety of products or finished products. These technicians are required to perform inspections on the tools and mechanical equipment as well as provide maintenance and repair. They are required to complete the assembly of equipment by following the engineering drawings and specifications. Fabrication technicians must also follow established safety procedures when maintaining work areas and troubleshooting problems with machinery.
Fabrication technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real fabrication technician resumes:
- Use of mig and tig welders, plasma cutter, chop see, band see and drill press.
- Lift or move material and finish products using large over head cranes or hoists.
- Weld with stick mig flux cor stainless rods.
- Form, fabricate and assemble commercial HVAC duct work systems.
- Train and operate several pieces of fab equipment, i.e.
- Operate laser and turret machines to cut hoods for transformers.
- Follow blueprints or other design specifications to install or repair HVAC systems.
- Train in PPE, MSDS and neutralization/containment of waste water and spills.
- Fabricate custom wiring harnesses & plumbing assemblies for food handling fixtures, i.e.
- Apply coats of seal finish, such as satin, gloss or polyurethane.
- Measure under/over etch rate, layer thickness and sheet resistance after each fabrication step.
- Limit experience with PLC programming, ability to read logic and write basic code.
- Utilize proficiencies in blueprint reading, AWS welding symbols and construction math to ensure specifications meet or exceed engineered tolerances.
- Produce product for end user through operation of manual mills, lathes, CNC mills, and welders.
- Help architect and art students produce their work through the use of laser cutters , 3D printers and CNC mills.
Fabrication technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Fabrication Technicians are proficient in Hand Tools, Math, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Manual dexterity, Mechanical skills, and Troubleshooting skills.
We break down the percentage of Fabrication Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hand Tools, 10%
Use various hand tools like screwdrivers, drills, pliers, tweezers, and scales for working on equipment.
- Math, 6%
Performed math calculations required for batch processing such as determining loss amounts, process yields and accountability and verifying inventory reconciliations.
- Customer Service, 6%
Produce and organize customer orders and troubleshoot/communicate efficiently with sales and customer service dept.
- CNC, 5%
Help architect and art students produce their work through the use of laser cutters, 3D printers and CNC mills.
- Calipers, 5%
Used Calipers and drop-indicators for measuring and qualifying product.
- OSHA, 5%
Recognized for developing a company-wide zone defense audit, keeping all areas in compliance with OSHA standards-safe work environment.
"hand tools," "math," and "customer service" are among the most common skills that fabrication technicians use at work. You can find even more fabrication technician responsibilities below, including:
Manual dexterity. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a fabrication technician to have is manual dexterity. Their role and responsibilities require that "industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights must have a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination when handling very small parts." Fabrication technicians often use manual dexterity in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "operated accurpress press brake, birmingham mill, manual lathe and heavy saw and various hand tools throughout the shop. "
Mechanical skills. Another essential skill to perform fabrication technician duties is mechanical skills. Fabrication technicians responsibilities require that "industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights use technical manuals and sophisticated diagnostic equipment to figure out why machines are not working." Fabrication technicians also use mechanical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "offered mechanical engineering position - passed in-house mig welding evaluation for production quality welding. "
Troubleshooting skills. This is an important skill for fabrication technicians to perform their duties. For an example of how fabrication technician responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights must observe, diagnose, and fix problems that a machine may be having." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a fabrication technician: "performed preventative maintenance of each machine in the bay, as well as basic hardware and software troubleshooting. ".
The three companies that hire the most fabrication technicians are:
- Ferguson Enterprises32 fabrication technicians jobs
- SpaceX12 fabrication technicians jobs
- Habasit America10 fabrication technicians jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable fabrication technician resume templates
Build a professional fabrication technician resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your fabrication technician resume.
Compare different fabrication technicians
Fabrication technician vs. Warehouse assembler
A warehouse assembler takes on several responsibilities. They are responsible for preparing work that needs to be accomplished by studying and following assembly instructions to put together parts. They also interpret engineering blueprints and technical jargon. They are expected to verify accurate quantities of components and to check that the items are completed to ensure quality. They manage the inventory of parts and tools that are used in the process of assembly.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between fabrication technicians and warehouse assembler. For instance, fabrication technician responsibilities require skills such as "math," "customer service," "cnc," and "calipers." Whereas a warehouse assembler is skilled in "basic math," "pallets," "part numbers," and "pallet jack." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Warehouse assemblers tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $31,847. In contrast, fabrication technicians make the biggest average salary, $39,731, in the finance industry.warehouse assemblers tend to reach similar levels of education than fabrication technicians. In fact, warehouse assemblers are 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Fabrication technician vs. General machine operator
A line operator is responsible for assisting in warehouse and factory operations, usually assigned on doing heavy works for the production. Line operators' duties include operating manufacturing machines and equipment, placing products on the appropriate shelves, checking supplies and inventories, loading orders for shipments, inspecting products for any defects, labeling products accurately, adhering to the safety procedures to prevent product contamination, and observing sanitary regulations. A line operator must have comprehensive knowledge of the mechanical industry, as well as the ability to multi-task, especially on meeting deadlines and processing customers' orders.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real fabrication technician resumes. While fabrication technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "hand tools," "customer service," "calipers," and "osha," general machine operators use skills like "safety regulations," "product specifications," "pallet jack," and "general production."
On average, general machine operators earn a lower salary than fabrication technicians. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, general machine operators earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $35,435. Whereas fabrication technicians have higher pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $39,731.In general, general machine operators achieve similar levels of education than fabrication technicians. They're 0.7% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Fabrication technician vs. Line operator
In a manufacturing setting, an assembly operator is in charge of assembling materials using hands or tools. Their responsibilities include following assembly guidelines, packing items in containers and boxes, operating tools and equipment, and developing strategies to optimize operations. They may also perform regular maintenance checks on machines and equipment to maintain a safe and efficient work environment. Furthermore, it is essential to observe an active communication line with co-workers, coordinating for a structured and smooth workflow.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from fabrication technician resumes include skills like "hand tools," "math," "customer service," and "calipers," whereas a line operator is more likely to list skills in "mechanical troubleshooting," "basic math," "safety rules," and "gmp. "
Line operators earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $37,379. Fabrication technicians earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $39,731.Most line operators achieve a similar degree level compared to fabrication technicians. For example, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Fabrication technician vs. Assembly operator
Even though a few skill sets overlap between fabrication technicians and assembly operators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a fabrication technician might have more use for skills like "customer service," "osha," "engineering drawings," and "work ethic." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of assembly operators require skills like "basic math," "assembly operations," "continuous improvement," and "assembly process. "
In general, assembly operators earn the most working in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $34,880. The highest-paying industry for a fabrication technician is the finance industry.The average resume of assembly operators showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to fabrication technicians. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.Types of fabrication technician
Updated January 8, 2025
