Steel fabricator vs fabrication technician

The differences between steel fabricators and fabrication technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fabrication technician has an average salary of $35,582, which is higher than the $32,654 average annual salary of a steel fabricator.

The top three skills for a steel fabricator include MIG, tape measure and hand tools. The most important skills for a fabrication technician are hand tools, math, and customer service.

Steel fabricator vs fabrication technician overview

	Steel Fabricator	Fabrication Technician
Yearly salary	$32,654	$35,582
Hourly rate	$15.70	$17.11
Growth rate	2%	14%
Number of jobs	3,063	109,734
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	Associate Degree, 29%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Steel fabricator vs fabrication technician salary

Steel fabricators and fabrication technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Steel Fabricator	Fabrication Technician
Average salary	$32,654	$35,582
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $44,000	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 steel fabricator and fabrication technician education

There are a few differences between a steel fabricator and a fabrication technician in terms of educational background:

	Steel Fabricator	Fabrication Technician
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 48%	Associate Degree, 29%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Business
Most common college	-	-

Steel fabricator vs fabrication technician demographics

Here are the differences between steel fabricators' and fabrication technicians' demographics:

	Steel Fabricator	Fabrication Technician
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8%	Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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 steel fabricator and fabrication technician duties and responsibilities

Steel fabricator example responsibilities.

Achieve welding certifications in pipe, structural steel, MIG, TIG and by the state of Maryland.
Programme and operate CNC press brake as necessary.
Weld and cut steel using MIG/ARC welders and cutting torches.
Work with various CNC machines, metal saws, drill presses and punches, press break, and forklift certify.
Weld, tack, and fit uprights that go on mods, fab and repair any projects using FCAW welding techniques.
Assemble fiberglass aircraft louvers in accordance with standard operating procedures while adhering to applicable safety regulations.

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.

Steel fabricator vs fabrication technician skills

Common steel fabricator skills

MIG, 11%
Tape Measure, 10%
Hand Tools, 10%
Stainless Steel, 7%
Steel Fabrication, 6%
Aluminum, 5%

Common fabrication technician skills

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

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Steel Fabricator
Steel Fabricator vs Fabrication Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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