Ship erector vs framing mechanic

The differences between ship erectors and framing mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a ship erector and a framing mechanic. Additionally, a framing mechanic has an average salary of $47,176, which is higher than the $43,889 average annual salary of a ship erector.

The top three skills for a ship erector include scaffolding, OSHA and safety rules. The most important skills for a framing mechanic are fiberglass, install drywall, and .

Ship erector vs framing mechanic overview

	Ship Erector	Framing Mechanic
Yearly salary	$43,889	$47,176
Hourly rate	$21.10	$22.68
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	6,795	33,712
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 69%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Ship erector vs framing mechanic salary

Ship erectors and framing mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Ship Erector	Framing Mechanic
Average salary	$43,889	$47,176
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $72,000	Between $29,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between ship erector and framing mechanic education

There are a few differences between a ship erector and a framing mechanic in terms of educational background:

	Ship Erector	Framing Mechanic
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 46%	High School Diploma, 69%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Ship erector vs framing mechanic demographics

Here are the differences between ship erectors' and framing mechanics' demographics:

	Ship Erector	Framing Mechanic
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%	Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 1.6% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 1.6% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between ship erector and framing mechanic duties and responsibilities

Ship erector example responsibilities.

Perform duties as a structural welder using SMAW, and FCAW.
Work with crew members to force steel parts into final position with turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks, etc.
Install various aluminum structures and foundations.
Identify and request any and all PPE necessary to performtasks.calculate accurate material estimates.
Operate lull and crane lifts.
Install various aluminum structures and foundations.

Framing mechanic example responsibilities.

Follow regulations and rules such as; safety rules, operating rules, and FRA regulations.
Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.

Ship erector vs framing mechanic skills

Common ship erector skills

Scaffolding, 34%
OSHA, 19%
Safety Rules, 13%
Construction Sites, 5%
Blueprint Specifications, 3%
Fall Protection, 3%

Common framing mechanic skills

Fiberglass, 53%
Install Drywall, 47%

Updated January 8, 2025

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