Sign maker vs fabrication technician

The differences between sign makers and fabrication technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sign maker has an average salary of $36,308, which is higher than the $35,582 average annual salary of a fabrication technician.

The top three skills for a sign maker include graphic design, vinyl graphics and aluminum. The most important skills for a fabrication technician are hand tools, math, and customer service.

Sign maker vs fabrication technician overview

	Sign Maker	Fabrication Technician
Yearly salary	$36,308	$35,582
Hourly rate	$17.46	$17.11
Growth rate	7%	14%
Number of jobs	8,783	109,734
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Associate Degree, 29%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Sign maker vs fabrication technician salary

Sign makers and fabrication technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sign Maker	Fabrication Technician
Average salary	$36,308	$35,582
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $50,000	Between $26,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Westinghouse Appliances Australia
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between sign maker and fabrication technician education

There are a few differences between a sign maker and a fabrication technician in terms of educational background:

	Sign Maker	Fabrication Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Associate Degree, 29%
Most common major	Graphic Design	Business
Most common college	-	-

Sign maker vs fabrication technician demographics

Here are the differences between sign makers' and fabrication technicians' demographics:

	Sign Maker	Fabrication Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%	Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 8.8% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between sign maker and fabrication technician duties and responsibilities

Sign maker example responsibilities.

Demonstrate proper use and application of PPE.
Apply basic and finish coats to sign blanks.
Print graphics on corrugate plastic, PVC, foam board, etc.
Keep record of number of boxes and labels used for each product run.
Pick, pack, and receive materials for customer orders using RF scanner and operator headset
Apply primers and sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare aluminum and steel, for finish coats.

Fabrication technician example responsibilities.

Use of mig and tig welders, plasma cutter, chop see, band see and drill press.
Lift or move material and finish products using large over head cranes or hoists.
Weld with stick mig flux cor stainless rods.
Form, fabricate and assemble commercial HVAC duct work systems.
Train and operate several pieces of fab equipment, i.e.
Operate laser and turret machines to cut hoods for transformers.

Sign maker vs fabrication technician skills

Common sign maker skills

Graphic Design, 16%
Vinyl Graphics, 14%
Aluminum, 13%
Vehicle Graphics, 5%
Custom Signage, 5%
Install Signage, 4%

Common fabrication technician skills

Hand Tools, 10%
Math, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
CNC, 5%
Calipers, 5%
OSHA, 5%