Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
SOC 51-2041 · 2024-2034
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -20%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $58,904per year
- Projected openings
- 2,460
- Projected change
- -20%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Operations Monitoring
- Monitoring
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $65,108 | 760 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $62,055 | 100 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $59,452 | 320 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $50,837 | 60 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $49,893 | 160 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $48,968 | 190 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $46,723 | 310 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $46,170
- A quarter earn under
- $47,796
- Half earn under
- $58,904
- Three quarters earn under
- $66,483
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $77,847
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $78,439 | 6,220 | +5.5% |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | $65,092 | 2,580 | -13.3% |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $78,665 | 7,970 | +5.5% |
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $50,057 | 1,830 | -16% |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $59,385 | 28,860 | +3.2% |
| Millwrights | $80,154 | 2,010 | 0% |
Programs that train for this job — 5
Local Union 460 Pipe Trades
Local Union 460 Pipe Trades · Bakersfield · $0
Structural Welding Course
Cal-Trade Welding School · Modesto · $7,895
Metal Fabrication Training
Tri-Community Adult Education · Covina · $1,045
Machine and Metals Technology, Certificate of Achievement
College of Marin · Greenbrae · $2,197
YUBA SHASTA UA LOCAL 228 JATC
Yuba Shasta Ua Local 228 Jatc · Marysville · $0