Ship fitter vs spot welder

The differences between ship fitters and spot welders 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 fitter and a spot welder. Additionally, a ship fitter has an average salary of $45,247, which is higher than the $32,277 average annual salary of a spot welder.

The top three skills for a ship fitter include hand tools, tack-weld and tack welding. The most important skills for a spot welder are spot welding, spot welders, and quality standards.

Ship fitter vs spot welder overview

	Ship Fitter	Spot Welder
Yearly salary	$45,247	$32,277
Hourly rate	$21.75	$15.52
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	9,742	8,126
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Ship fitter vs spot welder salary

Ship fitters and spot welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Ship Fitter	Spot Welder
Average salary	$45,247	$32,277
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $64,000	Between $26,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City	Mount Laurel, NJ	Fridley, MN
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Wyoming
Best paying company	BWX Technologies	General Electric
Best paying industry	Technology	Automotive

Differences between ship fitter and spot welder education

There are a few differences between a ship fitter and a spot welder in terms of educational background:

	Ship Fitter	Spot Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Ship fitter vs spot welder demographics

Here are the differences between ship fitters' and spot welders' demographics:

	Ship Fitter	Spot Welder
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3%	Male, 69.2% Female, 30.8%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between ship fitter and spot welder duties and responsibilities

Ship fitter example 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.
Assemble hoisting and rigging equipment.
Repair and re-fit oil rig platforms.

Spot welder example responsibilities.

Operate a laser CNC fabricator, press brake and occasionally TIG and MIG welding equipment.
Set up and operate CNC, mechanical, and hydraulic press brake.
Operate CNC punch and CNC shearer.
Spot welder, MIG welder, line assembly, metal repair and final line inspector.
Weld metal wires together in jigs to make magazine racks, cages and various products.
Used hoists, microscopes, calipers, ban see, and hand hold and bench grinders.

Ship fitter vs spot welder skills

Common ship fitter skills

Hand Tools, 14%
Tack-Weld, 10%
Tack Welding, 7%
Tape Measure, 6%
Cranes, 6%
Safety Rules, 5%

Common spot welder skills

Spot Welding, 35%
Spot Welders, 6%
Quality Standards, 5%
Assembly Line, 5%
MIG, 5%
Safety Equipment, 4%