Ship fitter vs welder-assembler

The differences between ship fitters and welder-assemblers 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 welder-assembler. Additionally, a ship fitter has an average salary of $45,247, which is higher than the $33,580 average annual salary of a welder-assembler.

The top three skills for a ship fitter include hand tools, tack-weld and tack welding. The most important skills for a welder-assembler are MIG, blueprint specifications, and aluminum.

Ship fitter vs welder-assembler overview

	Ship Fitter	Welder-Assembler
Yearly salary	$45,247	$33,580
Hourly rate	$21.75	$16.14
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	9,742	26,070
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Ship fitter vs welder-assembler salary

Ship fitters and welder-assemblers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Ship Fitter	Welder-Assembler
Average salary	$45,247	$33,580
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $64,000	Between $26,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Mount Laurel, NJ	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	BWX Technologies	-
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between ship fitter and welder-assembler education

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

	Ship Fitter	Welder-Assembler
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Ship fitter vs welder-assembler demographics

Here are the differences between ship fitters' and welder-assemblers' demographics:

	Ship Fitter	Welder-Assembler
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3%	Male, 86.9% Female, 13.1%
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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between ship fitter and welder-assembler 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.

Welder-assembler example responsibilities.

Manage and run production parts through the brake.
Perform welding duties with GMAW, to weld shoot beads on mild steel.
Start on CNC machine operator, to head welding/assembly.
Operate welding machines, soldering machines and brazing machines.
Weld aircraft parts, inspect parts, assemble parts for furnace brazing.
Cut various pieces out of stock using band saws, torches, and plasma cutters.

Ship fitter vs welder-assembler skills

Common ship fitter skills

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

Common welder-assembler skills

MIG, 17%
Blueprint Specifications, 7%
Aluminum, 7%
Stainless Steel, 6%
Safety Equipment, 5%
Tig Welding, 4%