Metal Fabricator

Types of Degrees Metal Fabricator Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many metal fabricator graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	251
Undergraduate Certificate	100
Associate Degree	62

What Metal Fabricator Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to metal fabricator and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Metal Fabricator Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for Metal Fabricator Majors

A major in metal fabricator prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities for Metal Fabricator Majors

As a metal fabricator major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Metal Fabricator?

This major attracts more men than women. About 82% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of metal fabricator majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	0
Hispanic or Latino	5
White	51
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	4

How Much Do Metal Fabricator Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to metal fabricator is $41,640. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Metal Fabricator

Some careers associated with metal fabricator require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for metal fabricator careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	4.0%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	48.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	30.0%
Some College Courses	17.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	3.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.2%

Online Metal Fabricator Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	10	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	4	0
Associate’s Degree	8	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Metal Fabricator Worth It?

The median salary for a metal fabricator grad is $41,640 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 4% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $34,800 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Metal Fabricator

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to metal fabricator.

Major	Number of Grads
Welding Technology/Welder	46,029
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist	3,181
Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist	2,275
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant	1,588
Tool & Die Technology/Technician	541
Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking	319
Ironworking/Ironworker	226
Other Precision Metal Working	218

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.