What is a Steel Fitter?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a steel fitter. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.93 an hour? That's $43,539 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 11% and produce 11,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does a Steel Fitter Do
There are certain skills that many steel fitters have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed depth perception, hand-eye coordination and unafraid of heights.
How To Become a Steel Fitter
If you're interested in becoming a steel fitter, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 7.0% of steel fitters have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.8% of steel fitters have master's degrees. Even though some steel fitters have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Average Salary for a Steel Fitter
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Steel Fitter
There are several types of steel fitter, including:
Welder Fitter
Role:
Welder fitters fabricate layout and fit metal components to produce structural forms like bridge parts and pressure vessels. They do these by using their knowledge of welding techniques, metallurgy, and engineering requirements. You should be able to repair and install equipment like valves, floors, lead pipes, and tank linings. You will set up the welding equipment on-site and heat metal using your torch, and shape the material according to the design. More importantly, you will follow all safety protocols and clean up the workspace after completing the work.
A high school diploma with a professional certificate will be preferred as the educational requirement for a welder fitter. An experience in the role or related role will also be an added advantage. You will need physical strength to carry out the job of a welder fitter and the ability to read the blueprints being given with problem-solving skills. Welder fitters are paid an average of $17 hourly and about $35,254 yearly.
- Average Salary: $39,676
- Degree: High School Diploma
Iron Worker
Role:
Ironworkers establish, fabricate, construct, and install iron and steel frames for bridges, buildings, and other structures. The basic tasks of an ironworker revolve around understanding blueprint welding, cutting metals into specific customizations or shapes, assembling and stacking materials, coordinating with other members of the construction team, operating various machinery and devices, and attaching essential tools.
As an ironworker, you are to repair and replace existing elements of the buildings. Also, it is important for you as an ironworker to follow every company's federal and state safety regulations by wearing proper protective gear while working. In addition, it is your duty to keep every piece of equipment and tools in good working condition and to stack, load, and unload steel and even iron pieces.
Most of the time, ironworkers did not need a college education. The most common degree for this role is a high school diploma or GED. As an ironworker, you will earn an average salary of $34,802 a year.
- Average Salary: $41,422
- Degree: High School Diploma
Ship Fitter
Role:
Ship fitters are responsible for building the structural parts of ships, such as the plates, frames, and bulkheads. They cut and attach large sheets of metal to make those structural parts, preparing them for permanent welding. They also maintain a clean work environment and observe proper safety considerations daily to prevent injury and lost time. Ship fitters earn an average salary of $38,000 annually or $18 per hour.
Ship fitters mark holes' location to be drilled and install temporary fasteners to hold the part in place for welding. They prepare molds and templates to fabricate nonstandard parts and locate and mark reference lines, such as center, buttock, and frame lines. They also lay out the position of parts on metal by working from blueprints or templates.
In terms of academic qualifications, ship fitters usually hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, earning a higher degree may prove advantageous in some instances, and employers may prefer such a degree. Some employers may also select candidates with prior experience in general construction and the ability to read and follow blueprints.
- Average Salary: $45,247
- Degree: High School Diploma
States With The Most Steel Fitter Jobs
Number Of Steel Fitter Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 54 | $53,216 |
| 2 | Texas | 47 | $39,033 |
| 3 | Florida | 43 | $35,532 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 36 | $40,807 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 31 | $36,397 |
| 6 | Virginia | 29 | $38,847 |
| 7 | Ohio | 25 | $43,335 |
| 8 | Michigan | 25 | $39,061 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 24 | $43,390 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 21 | $37,050 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 20 | $37,407 |
| 12 | Georgia | 18 | $39,804 |
| 13 | Iowa | 17 | $46,836 |
| 14 | South Carolina | 17 | $44,114 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 17 | $41,963 |
| 16 | Oregon | 16 | $41,609 |
| 17 | Alabama | 15 | $40,252 |
| 18 | Washington | 15 | $43,379 |
| 19 | Colorado | 13 | $50,895 |
| 20 | Maryland | 13 | $39,240 |
| 21 | Missouri | 13 | $33,193 |
| 22 | Illinois | 12 | $47,132 |
| 23 | Indiana | 12 | $44,481 |
| 24 | Arizona | 12 | $44,345 |
| 25 | South Dakota | 11 | $44,249 |
| 26 | Louisiana | 11 | $44,942 |
| 27 | Kentucky | 10 | $37,913 |
| 28 | Alaska | 8 | $55,086 |
| 29 | Montana | 8 | $45,409 |
| 30 | New Mexico | 8 | $37,365 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | 8 | $40,855 |
| 32 | Mississippi | 7 | $46,187 |
| 33 | New York | 7 | $57,784 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 7 | $35,050 |
| 35 | Utah | 5 | $47,631 |
| 36 | Maine | 5 | $40,893 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 4 | $33,416 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | 3 | $41,152 |
| 39 | New Jersey | 3 | $44,799 |
| 40 | Kansas | 2 | $46,998 |
| 41 | Nevada | 2 | $42,871 |
| 42 | Idaho | 2 | $41,847 |
| 43 | North Dakota | 1 | $46,752 |
| 44 | West Virginia | 1 | $45,375 |
| 45 | Connecticut | 1 | $40,949 |
| 46 | Hawaii | 0 | $52,943 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | 0 | $40,259 |
| 48 | Delaware | 0 | $39,771 |
| 49 | Vermont | 0 | $39,155 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 0 | $37,072 |
Top Skills For a Steel Fitter
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 21.4% of steel fitters listed blueprint specifications on their resume, but soft skills such as depth perception and hand-eye coordination are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Steel Fitter Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Steel Fitter templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Steel Fitter resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Steel Fitter diversity
Steel Fitter Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among steel fitters, 4.4% of them are women, while 95.6% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among steel fitters is White, which makes up 68.2% of all steel fitters.
- The most common foreign language among steel fitters is Spanish at 100.0%.
Online Courses For Steel Fitter That You May Like
1. Ferrous Technology I
Steel, ever-evolving material, has been the most preeminent of all materials since it can provide wide range of properties that can meet ever-changing requirements. In this course, we explore both fundamental and technical issues related to steels, including iron and steelmaking, microstructure and phase transformation, and their properties and applications...
2. Requirements Engineering: Secure Software Specifications
This specialization is intended for software engineers, development and product managers, testers, QA analysts, product analysts, tech writers, and security engineers. Even if you have experience in the requirements realm, this course will expand your knowledge to include new viewpoints, development styles, techniques and tools.\n\nFor anyone seeking a graduate degree, certificate, or professional degree in computer science, these courses will additionally give you a broad understanding of how...
3. Structural Steel Design: Learn the Principles of Design
Understand the foundations and design a laterally supported steel element with ease (bending, axial and shear)...
How Do Steel Fitters Rate Their Jobs?
Top Steel Fitter Employers
Most Common Employers For Steel Fitter
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capco | $49,940 | $24.01 | 1 |
| 2 | General Dynamics | $44,472 | $21.38 | 1 |
| 3 | Dura-Bond Industries | $43,746 | $21.03 | 1 |
| 4 | HKA Enterprises | $43,623 | $20.97 | 2 |
| 5 | NCI Building Systems Inc. | $43,597 | $20.96 | 1 |
| 6 | Jeffboat | $43,365 | $20.85 | 40 |
| 7 | National Steel and Shipbuilding Company Inc | $43,190 | $20.76 | 2 |
| 8 | Gardner Denver | $43,183 | $20.76 | 1 |
| 9 | Fincantieri Marine Group | $43,174 | $20.76 | 8 |
| 10 | Foss Maritime | $43,165 | $20.75 | 1 |