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The differences between welder fitters and structural welders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a welder fitter and a structural welder. Additionally, a structural welder has an average salary of $42,868, which is higher than the $39,676 average annual salary of a welder fitter.
The top three skills for a welder fitter include MIG, hand tools and arc welding. The most important skills for a structural welder are SMAW, FCAW, and MIG.
| Welder Fitter | Structural Welder | |
| Yearly salary | $39,676 | $42,868 |
| Hourly rate | $19.07 | $20.61 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 8,022 | 9,651 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Welder Fitter specializes in manipulating steel, aluminum, and other materials into various industries' structural forms. The majority of a welder's responsibilities are mostly manual work, which can have risks as they use torches or lasers for their daily tasks, and there are also instances when they have to climb high structures. Furthermore, a Welder Fitter must have keen attention to detail and communication skills as they must coordinate with fellow workers most of the time.
The job of structural welders is to design, layout, and fabricate the metal framework for industrial and commercial buildings. They work for a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, shipbuilding, and construction. Their duties and responsibilities include testing welding and safety equipment, cutting, assembling, repairing building components such as girders and beams, and checking for gap and angle allowances. They either use manual or automated equipment to perform some of these tasks, such as power saws for cutting metals. Structural welders are also responsible for assessing the condition of the equipment.
Welder fitters and structural welders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Welder Fitter | Structural Welder | |
| Average salary | $39,676 | $42,868 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $55,000 | Between $31,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Jefferson Lab | Turner Construction |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Construction |
There are a few differences between a welder fitter and a structural welder in terms of educational background:
| Welder Fitter | Structural Welder | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 43% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Precision Metal Working |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between welder fitters' and structural welders' demographics:
| Welder Fitter | Structural Welder | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.1% Female, 4.9% | Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 22.1% Asian, 2.6% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |