Fixture builder vs pattern finisher

The differences between fixture builders and pattern finishers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a fixture builder and a pattern finisher. Additionally, a fixture builder has an average salary of $53,904, which is higher than the $33,234 average annual salary of a pattern finisher.

The top three skills for a fixture builder include build fixtures, jigs and gauges. The most important skills for a pattern finisher are hand tools, wax patterns, and quality standards.

Fixture builder vs pattern finisher overview

	Fixture Builder	Pattern Finisher
Yearly salary	$53,904	$33,234
Hourly rate	$25.92	$15.98
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	3,041	2,106
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Associate Degree, 40%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Fixture builder vs pattern finisher salary

Fixture builders and pattern finishers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fixture Builder	Pattern Finisher
Average salary	$53,904	$33,234
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $80,000	Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fixture builder and pattern finisher education

There are a few differences between a fixture builder and a pattern finisher in terms of educational background:

	Fixture Builder	Pattern Finisher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 33%	Associate Degree, 40%
Most common major	Industrial Technology	Graphic Design
Most common college	-	-

Fixture builder vs pattern finisher demographics

Here are the differences between fixture builders' and pattern finishers' demographics:

	Fixture Builder	Pattern Finisher
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 97.6% Female, 2.4%	Male, 50.0% Female, 50.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 8.6% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.7% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between fixture builder and pattern finisher duties and responsibilities

Fixture builder example responsibilities.

Fabricate from raw materials, complex master gauges, drill jigs & holding fixtures for assembly processes.
Coordinate master tooling gauges and relate tooling.
Construct new and maintain fixtures for CNC machining production.
Build aluminum and composite apply fixtures and tooling gages for Lockheed-Martin.
Design and build a wide variety of drill, assembly, weld, locating jigs and templates.
Implement CNC tube bending technology which reduce set-up time and scrap while increasing machine efficiencies and utilization.

Pattern finisher example responsibilities.

Develop patterns using AutoCAD while working closely with manufacturing to ensure the customer order is processed accurately with minimum lead time.
Follow and demonstrate the significance of FDA code of regulations during audits to identify recommendations and non-conformances.

Fixture builder vs pattern finisher skills

Common fixture builder skills

Build Fixtures, 21%
Jigs, 20%
Gauges, 10%
Blueprint Specifications, 8%
CNC, 5%
Engineering Drawings, 4%

Common pattern finisher skills

Hand Tools, 82%
WAX Patterns, 11%
Quality Standards, 7%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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