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The differences between fabricators and ship fitters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a ship fitter has an average salary of $45,247, 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 ship fitter are hand tools, tack-weld, and tack welding.
| Fabricator | Ship Fitter | |
| Yearly salary | $34,922 | $45,247 |
| Hourly rate | $16.79 | $21.75 |
| Growth rate | -1% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 7,772 | 9,742 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
Ship fitters are civilian or enlisted people who work on materials like high yield strength steel and high-tensile steel. These people fabricate, assemble, and build structural parts of ships. They are the ones who coordinate a fixed tank working on ships and submarines, as well as the sonar dome work. They serve as part of a team composing shipbuilders. It is their duty to lead and assist in welding copper, PVC, flange piping, and steel. They should also refurbish the older rigs with advanced technologies.
Fabricators and ship fitters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fabricator | Ship Fitter | |
| Average salary | $34,922 | $45,247 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $44,000 | Between $31,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Mount Laurel, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Danaher | BWX Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a fabricator and a ship fitter in terms of educational background:
| Fabricator | Ship Fitter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between fabricators' and ship fitters' demographics:
| Fabricator | Ship Fitter | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2% | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% |
| 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, 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 | 5% | 3% |