Steel fitter vs pipe welder

The differences between steel fitters and pipe welders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pipe welder has an average salary of $46,364, which is higher than the $43,539 average annual salary of a steel fitter.

The top three skills for a steel fitter include blueprint specifications, hand tools and MIG. The most important skills for a pipe welder are carbon steel, MIG, and hand tools.

Steel fitter vs pipe welder overview

	Steel Fitter	Pipe Welder
Yearly salary	$43,539	$46,364
Hourly rate	$20.93	$22.29
Growth rate	4%	2%
Number of jobs	1,788	7,738
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 42%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	-	4

Steel fitter vs pipe welder salary

Steel fitters and pipe welders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Steel Fitter	Pipe Welder
Average salary	$43,539	$46,364
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $56,000	Between $33,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	-	North Kingstown, RI
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Forum Energy Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between steel fitter and pipe welder education

There are a few differences between a steel fitter and a pipe welder in terms of educational background:

	Steel Fitter	Pipe Welder
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 51%	High School Diploma, 42%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Steel fitter vs pipe welder demographics

Here are the differences between steel fitters' and pipe welders' demographics:

	Steel Fitter	Pipe Welder
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4%	Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	3%

Differences between steel fitter and pipe welder 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.

Pipe welder example responsibilities.

Silver solder, TIG, SMAW, GMAW, FCAW weld mild steel stainless steel aluminum and copper nickel respectively.
Weld carbon and stainless steel pipe in position and roll out machines utilizing GTAW, GMAW, FCAW and SMAW processes.
Skil in all types of welding, including MIG, TIG, stick, aluminum and stainless steel.
Work with TIG and MIG welding systems, as well as forklifts and overhead cranes up to 30 tons.
Work safely under OSHA safety and PPE standards.
Used aluminum GMAW for structural supports and some larger fabrications.

Steel fitter vs pipe welder skills

Common steel fitter skills

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

Common pipe welder skills

Carbon Steel, 16%
MIG, 10%
Hand Tools, 8%
TIG, 6%
SMAW, 6%
GTAW, 6%