Machine welder vs ship fitter

The differences between machine welders and ship fitters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a machine welder and a ship fitter. Additionally, a ship fitter has an average salary of $45,247, which is higher than the $31,852 average annual salary of a machine welder.

The top three skills for a machine welder include MIG, aluminum and GMAW. The most important skills for a ship fitter are hand tools, tack-weld, and tack welding.

Machine welder vs ship fitter overview

	Machine Welder	Ship Fitter
Yearly salary	$31,852	$45,247
Hourly rate	$15.31	$21.75
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	37,692	9,742
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Machine welder vs ship fitter salary

Machine welders and ship fitters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Machine Welder	Ship Fitter
Average salary	$31,852	$45,247
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $39,000	Between $31,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	Mount Laurel, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between machine welder and ship fitter education

There are a few differences between a machine welder and a ship fitter in terms of educational background:

	Machine Welder	Ship Fitter
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 55%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Business
Most common college	-	-

Machine welder vs ship fitter demographics

Here are the differences between machine welders' and ship fitters' demographics:

	Machine Welder	Ship Fitter
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3%	Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%	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	3%	3%

Differences between machine welder and ship fitter duties and responsibilities

Machine welder example responsibilities.

Manage aluminum structural/pipe fabrication turnaround: cross-country CGIT/IPB megawatt electrical power conductors.
Perform various tasks requiring MIG welding and TIG welding.
Weld metal parts and components together, using brazing, gas and arc welding equipment.
Stick and mig weld when machine go down.
Help position and clamp workpieces together and assemble them in jigs and fixtures.23.
Calculate dimensions and tolerances using knowledge of mathematics and instruments such as micrometers and vernier calipers.

Ship fitter example responsibilities.

Achieve x-ray certification on aluminum using MIG process.
Lead and assist in executing pipefitting/welding of steel, copper, PVC, and flange piping.
Cut materials with various tools including torches, reciprocating saws, grinders and plasma cutters to ensure exact measurements.
Work includes using torches, grinders and other power tools to cut material to size and prep to weld and paint.
Assemble hoisting and rigging equipment.
Repair and re-fit oil rig platforms.

Machine welder vs ship fitter skills

Common machine welder skills

MIG, 14%
Aluminum, 10%
GMAW, 9%
Calipers, 8%
Carbon Steel, 8%
FCAW, 8%

Common ship fitter skills

Hand Tools, 14%
Tack-Weld, 10%
Tack Welding, 7%
Tape Measure, 6%
Cranes, 6%
Safety Rules, 5%