Furniture maker vs metal fabricator

The differences between furniture makers 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 $37,070 average annual salary of a furniture maker.

The top three skills for a furniture maker include hand tools, shop drawings and jointers. The most important skills for a metal fabricator are MIG, hand tools, and aluminum.

Furniture maker vs metal fabricator overview

	Furniture Maker	Metal Fabricator
Yearly salary	$37,070	$38,047
Hourly rate	$17.82	$18.29
Growth rate	3%	-6%
Number of jobs	7,848	4,868
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Furniture maker vs metal fabricator salary

Furniture makers and metal fabricators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Furniture Maker	Metal Fabricator
Average salary	$37,070	$38,047
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $29,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	Clifton, NJ
Highest paying state	-	Nevada
Best paying company	-	Halliburton
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between furniture maker and metal fabricator education

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

	Furniture Maker	Metal Fabricator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Fine Arts	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Furniture maker vs metal fabricator demographics

Here are the differences between furniture makers' and metal fabricators' demographics:

	Furniture Maker	Metal Fabricator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4%	Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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%

Differences between furniture maker and metal fabricator duties and responsibilities

Furniture maker example responsibilities.

Operate machinery, sanders, saws, planers.
Create necessary jigs and templates for each project.
Smooth, shape, and touch up surfaces to prepare them for finishing, using sandpaper, sanders, or grinders.
Remove rough spots and smooth surfaces to fit, trim, or clean parts, using hand tools or power tools.

Metal fabricator example responsibilities.

Examine surface of metal to detect defects, such as dents, scratches, or breaks in metal.
Operate band see, chop see, MIG welder, stick welder, and grinders to cut to specifications.
Design and construct jigs, templates, and fixtures.
Test and troubleshoot electrical systems prior to shipment of modules.
Fabricate and erect structural, ornamental, and misc steel.
Apply knowledge of shop mathematics, metal properties, and layouts.

Furniture maker vs metal fabricator skills

Common furniture maker skills

Hand Tools, 42%
Shop Drawings, 17%
Jointers, 12%
CNC, 7%
Planers, 6%
Drill Press, 6%

Common metal fabricator skills

MIG, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Aluminum, 6%
Press Brake, 6%
Drill Press, 5%
Tape Measure, 5%