Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between pipe fitters and ship fitters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pipe fitter has an average salary of $51,055, which is higher than the $45,247 average annual salary of a ship fitter.
The top three skills for a pipe fitter include carbon steel, hand tools and safety procedures. The most important skills for a ship fitter are hand tools, tack-weld, and tack welding.
A pipefitter specializes in pipe systems. They are mostly responsible for cutting, assembling, installing, and maintaining the pipes' condition within homes or establishments. There are also instances when a pipe fitter has to visit sites, investigate problems, and conduct tests and repairs when necessary. Most pipefitters work in a group setting and are required to communicate and coordinate with co-workers, all while adhering to a company's standards and safety policies.
Ship fitters are civilian or enlisted people who work on materials like high yield strength steel and high-tensile steel. These people fabricate, assemble, and build structural parts of ships. They are the ones who coordinate a fixed tank working on ships and submarines, as well as the sonar dome work. They serve as part of a team composing shipbuilders. It is their duty to lead and assist in welding copper, PVC, flange piping, and steel. They should also refurbish the older rigs with advanced technologies.
Pipe fitters and ship fitters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pipe Fitter | Ship Fitter | |
| Average salary | $51,055 | $45,247 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $63,000 | Between $31,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Mount Laurel, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Spangler Candy | BWX Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between a pipe fitter and a ship fitter in terms of educational background:
| Pipe Fitter | Ship Fitter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between pipe fitters' and ship fitters' demographics:
| Pipe Fitter | Ship Fitter | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 1.9% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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 | 2% | 3% |