Steel fitter vs guard rail installer

The differences between steel fitters and guard rail installers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a steel fitter has an average salary of $43,539, which is higher than the $37,013 average annual salary of a guard rail installer.

The top three skills for a steel fitter include blueprint specifications, hand tools and MIG. The most important skills for a guard rail installer are traffic control, DOT, and CDL.

Steel fitter vs guard rail installer overview

	Steel Fitter	Guard Rail Installer
Yearly salary	$43,539	$37,013
Hourly rate	$20.93	$17.79
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	1,788	31,150
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 56%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	-	-

Steel fitter vs guard rail installer salary

Steel fitters and guard rail installers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Steel Fitter	Guard Rail Installer
Average salary	$43,539	$37,013
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $56,000	Between $24,000 And $56,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between steel fitter and guard rail installer education

There are a few differences between a steel fitter and a guard rail installer in terms of educational background:

	Steel Fitter	Guard Rail Installer
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 56%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Steel fitter vs guard rail installer demographics

Here are the differences between steel fitters' and guard rail installers' demographics:

	Steel Fitter	Guard Rail Installer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4%	Male, 88.1% Female, 11.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 1.6% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 1.6% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between steel fitter and guard rail installer duties and responsibilities

Steel fitter example responsibilities.

Cut steel using acetylene torches.
Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces using metal shears, torches, or welding equipment.
Gather data and information on the weld-ability of aluminum alloys, and test welding equipment using various methods of aluminum welding technology
Force structural-steel members into final positions, using turnbuckles, crowbars, jacks and hand tools.
Programme and maintain various machine base systems using AutoCad and other equipment base software.

Guard rail installer example responsibilities.

Manage telecommunications, data and CCTV equipment.
Use``CDL"deliver guard rail and install guard rail.
Maintain inventory of all street signs with GPS.
Assist with assembling hoisting equipment to move heavy equipment or materials.
Cut, bend, or weld steel pieces using metal shares, torches, handsaw, and other welding equipment.
Perform preventative maintenance, troubleshot breakdowns and repair malfunctioning HVAC systems and components; utilize measuring and testing instruments.

Steel fitter vs guard rail installer skills

Common steel fitter skills

Blueprint Specifications, 21%
Hand Tools, 18%
MIG, 12%
Tape Measure, 8%
Tack-Weld, 7%
GMAW, 5%

Common guard rail installer skills

Traffic Control, 32%
DOT, 29%
CDL, 22%
Guard Rails, 17%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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