How To Become A Ship Fitter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a ship fitter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Ship fitters are responsible for building the structural parts of ships, such as the plates, frames, and bulkheads. They cut and attach large sheets of metal to make those structural parts, preparing them for permanent welding. They also maintain a clean work environment and observe proper safety considerations daily to prevent injury and lost time. Ship fitters earn an average salary of $38,000 annually or $18 per hour.

Ship fitters mark holes' location to be drilled and install temporary fasteners to hold the part in place for welding. They prepare molds and templates to fabricate nonstandard parts and locate and mark reference lines, such as center, buttock, and frame lines. They also lay out the position of parts on metal by working from blueprints or templates.

In terms of academic qualifications, ship fitters usually hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, earning a higher degree may prove advantageous in some instances, and employers may prefer such a degree. Some employers may also select candidates with prior experience in general construction and the ability to read and follow blueprints.

ScoreShip FitterUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,247

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.60%

Asian 2.65%

Black or African American 10.38%

Hispanic or Latino 17.71%

Unknown 3.98%

White 63.67%

Gender

female 12.26%

male 87.74%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.7

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a ship fitter

Explore ship fitter education requirements

Most common ship fitter degrees

High School Diploma

40.3 %

Bachelor's

20.3 %

Associate

18.8 %

Start to develop specific ship fitter skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	14.44%
Tack-Weld	9.72%
Tack Welding	6.93%
Tape Measure	5.93%
Cranes	5.73%

Complete relevant ship fitter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New ship fitters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a ship fitter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real ship fitter resumes.

Research ship fitter duties and 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.

Prepare your ship fitter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your ship fitter resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a ship fitter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable ship fitter resume templates

Build a professional ship fitter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your ship fitter resume.