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The differences between sheet metal fabricators and metal fabricators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sheet metal fabricator has an average salary of $40,224, which is higher than the $38,047 average annual salary of a metal fabricator.
The top three skills for a sheet metal fabricator include hand tools, math and HVAC. The most important skills for a metal fabricator are MIG, hand tools, and aluminum.
| Sheet Metal Fabricator | Metal Fabricator | |
| Yearly salary | $40,224 | $38,047 |
| Hourly rate | $19.34 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | -1% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 4,036 | 4,868 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A sheet metal fabricator installs and fabricates thin metal sheets. They typically work with a team to carry out tasks such as trimming, buffing, smoothing, and grinding metal surfaces. They also read blueprints and select gauges of metal for projects. They must be proficient with hand and power tools.
A metal fabricator manipulates metal for construction and manufacturing companies. They are required to cut, shape, position and align different metals. They must also understand assembly instructions, ensure required parts are available, and ensure parts meet quality control standards. They attend product development meetings, test products for functionality, troubleshoot and stress test products to determine possible shortcomings, make detailed reports outlining product malfunctions, verify product dimensions, and maintain the product schedule.
Sheet metal fabricators and metal fabricators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sheet Metal Fabricator | Metal Fabricator | |
| Average salary | $40,224 | $38,047 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $29,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fall River, MA | Clifton, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Fortune Brands Home & Security | Halliburton |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a sheet metal fabricator and a metal fabricator in terms of educational background:
| Sheet Metal Fabricator | Metal Fabricator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between sheet metal fabricators' and metal fabricators' demographics:
| Sheet Metal Fabricator | Metal Fabricator | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6% | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 4% | 5% |