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The differences between fabricators 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 $34,922 average annual salary of a fabricator.
The top three skills for a fabricator include hand tools, basic math and calipers. The most important skills for a metal fabricator are MIG, hand tools, and aluminum.
| Fabricator | Metal Fabricator | |
| Yearly salary | $34,922 | $38,047 |
| Hourly rate | $16.79 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | -1% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 7,772 | 4,868 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A fabricator specializes in manufacturing and assembling equipment or devices, ensuring every product's quality and efficiency. There are instances when a fabricator is required to make multiple gears, conduct verification processes on product schematics and specifications, perform quality control inspections, and test the product in different environments. Furthermore, a fabricator needs to coordinate with all workforce members to remain informed on any changes or updates in the production operations while adhering to the company's policies and safety standards.
A metal fabricator manipulates metal for construction and manufacturing companies. They are required to cut, shape, position and align different metals. They must also understand assembly instructions, ensure required parts are available, and ensure parts meet quality control standards. They attend product development meetings, test products for functionality, troubleshoot and stress test products to determine possible shortcomings, make detailed reports outlining product malfunctions, verify product dimensions, and maintain the product schedule.
Fabricators and metal fabricators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fabricator | Metal Fabricator | |
| Average salary | $34,922 | $38,047 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $29,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Clifton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Danaher | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a fabricator and a metal fabricator in terms of educational background:
| Fabricator | Metal Fabricator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between fabricators' and metal fabricators' demographics:
| Fabricator | Metal Fabricator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 8.1% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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% |