Sign maker vs sign fabricator

The differences between sign makers and sign fabricators 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 $33,220 average annual salary of a sign fabricator.

The top three skills for a sign maker include graphic design, vinyl graphics and aluminum. The most important skills for a sign fabricator are customer service, vinyl application, and drill press.

Sign maker vs sign fabricator overview

	Sign Maker	Sign Fabricator
Yearly salary	$36,308	$33,220
Hourly rate	$17.46	$15.97
Growth rate	7%	4%
Number of jobs	8,783	3,685
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Sign maker vs sign fabricator salary

Sign makers and sign fabricators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sign Maker	Sign Fabricator
Average salary	$36,308	$33,220
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $50,000	Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between sign maker and sign fabricator education

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

	Sign Maker	Sign Fabricator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Graphic Design	Graphic Design
Most common college	-	-

Sign maker vs sign fabricator demographics

Here are the differences between sign makers' and sign fabricators' demographics:

	Sign Maker	Sign Fabricator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%	Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1%
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, 13.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 8.3% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between sign maker and sign fabricator 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.

Sign fabricator example responsibilities.

Glass glazing/commercial aluminum window panel fabrication
Construct galvanize gates using the GMAW process.
Weld jacket sheets together utilizing GMAW process in compliance to AAR code.
Cut, weed and mask vinyl decals on both an Epson cut plotter and a Gerber foil printer.
Glass glazing/commercial aluminum window panel fabrication

Sign maker vs sign fabricator skills

Common sign maker skills

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

Common sign fabricator skills

Customer Service, 17%
Vinyl Application, 14%
Drill Press, 11%
Tig Welding, 11%
CNC, 9%
Hand Tools, 6%