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Metal Fabricator Major

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Metal Fabricator

68 Associates's Degrees Annually
#144 in Popularity (Associate's)
$41,640 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Metal Fabricator Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many metal fabricator graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Basic Certificate 243
Undergraduate Certificate 119
Associate Degree 68

What Metal Fabricator Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, metal fabricator majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Metal Fabricator Majors

Metal Fabricator majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • 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

metal fabricator majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • 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:

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  • 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?

68 Associate's Degrees Annually
13% Percent Women
18% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major attracts more men than women. About 87% 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:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 1
Black or African American 2
Hispanic or Latino 6
White 54
International Students 0
Other Races/Ethnicities 5

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 you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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.

Median Salary for a Metal Fabricator Major  41,640
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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Some careers associated with metal fabricator require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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

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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

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 33 schools offered some type of metal fabricator program. 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) 13 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 4 0
Associate’s Degree 9 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!

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

Major Number of Grads
Welding Technology/Welder 42,490
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist 3,285
Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist 2,689
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant 1,921
Tool & Die Technology/Technician 584
Ironworking/Ironworker 316
Other Precision Metal Working 314
Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking 279

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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