Fabricator vs sign maker

The differences between fabricators and sign makers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sign maker has an average salary of $36,308, 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 sign maker are graphic design, vinyl graphics, and aluminum.

Fabricator vs sign maker overview

	Fabricator	Sign Maker
Yearly salary	$34,922	$36,308
Hourly rate	$16.79	$17.46
Growth rate	-1%	7%
Number of jobs	7,772	8,783
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Fabricator vs sign maker salary

Fabricators and sign makers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fabricator	Sign Maker
Average salary	$34,922	$36,308
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $44,000	Between $26,000 And $50,000
Highest paying City	Las Vegas, NV	-
Highest paying state	Nevada	-
Best paying company	Danaher	-
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between fabricator and sign maker education

There are a few differences between a fabricator and a sign maker in terms of educational background:

	Fabricator	Sign Maker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Graphic Design
Most common college	-	-

Fabricator vs sign maker demographics

Here are the differences between fabricators' and sign makers' demographics:

	Fabricator	Sign Maker
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2%	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%
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, 12.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between fabricator and sign maker duties and responsibilities

Fabricator example responsibilities.

Finish weld using SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW as required.
Gain experience in tig and arc welding, as well as cleaning welds.
Design, manufacture, and assemble plastic products through one of a number of methods such as molding and extrusion.
Operate equipment and power tools, including arc welding and gas welding equipment, grinders, sanders, lathes and saws.
Master the use of an array of tools including but not limit to power saws, grinders, polishers, etc.
Certify in SMAW, GMAW.

Sign maker example responsibilities.

Demonstrate proper use and application of PPE.
Apply basic and finish coats to sign blanks.
Print graphics on corrugate plastic, PVC, foam board, etc.
Keep record of number of boxes and labels used for each product run.
Pick, pack, and receive materials for customer orders using RF scanner and operator headset
Apply primers and sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare aluminum and steel, for finish coats.

Fabricator vs sign maker skills

Common fabricator skills

Hand Tools, 10%
Basic Math, 8%
Calipers, 8%
Math, 7%
Tape Measure, 6%
CNC, 5%

Common sign maker skills

Graphic Design, 16%
Vinyl Graphics, 14%
Aluminum, 13%
Vehicle Graphics, 5%
Custom Signage, 5%
Install Signage, 4%