Metal finisher vs metal fabricator

The differences between metal finishers 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 $34,760 average annual salary of a metal finisher.

The top three skills for a metal finisher include grinders, stainless steel and hand tools. The most important skills for a metal fabricator are MIG, hand tools, and aluminum.

Metal finisher vs metal fabricator overview

	Metal Finisher	Metal Fabricator
Yearly salary	$34,760	$38,047
Hourly rate	$16.71	$18.29
Growth rate	-5%	-6%
Number of jobs	4,896	4,868
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 46%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Metal finisher vs metal fabricator salary

Metal finishers and metal fabricators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Metal Finisher	Metal Fabricator
Average salary	$34,760	$38,047
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $42,000	Between $29,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Oregon City, OR	Clifton, NJ
Highest paying state	Oregon	Nevada
Best paying company	MicroPort	Halliburton
Best paying industry	Health Care	Automotive

Differences between metal finisher and metal fabricator education

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

	Metal Finisher	Metal Fabricator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 46%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Metal finisher vs metal fabricator demographics

Here are the differences between metal finishers' and metal fabricators' demographics:

	Metal Finisher	Metal Fabricator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%	Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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	6%	5%

Differences between metal finisher and metal fabricator duties and responsibilities

Metal finisher example responsibilities.

Train and instruct other polishers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Prepare a variety of jigs and fabricate extremely ornate gates, railings, stairs, and fences.
Operate fork lifts, cutting torches and power tools to dismantle equipment to find and remove defective parts.
Concrete construction, bobcat operator, concrete finisher
Assist ICM with project management responsibilities and updating and editing documentation for ISO compliance.
Manufacture extruded aluminum evaporator coils, condenser coils, and other products for heat transfer applications.

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.

Metal finisher vs metal fabricator skills

Common metal finisher skills

Grinders, 13%
Stainless Steel, 8%
Hand Tools, 8%
Dents, 7%
Detect Defects, 5%
Quality Checks, 4%

Common metal fabricator skills

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