Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
51-2041 Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products. Shipfitters are included in “Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic” (51-4192).
National estimates for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Industry profile for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
Geographic profile for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
National estimates for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 57,810 |
1.8 % |
$ 24.35 |
$ 50,640 |
0.5 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 17.39 |
$ 19.80 |
$ 23.31 |
$ 27.65 |
$ 31.97 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 36,180 |
$ 41,180 |
$ 48,480 |
$ 57,520 |
$ 66,500 |
Industry profile for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) |
25,490 |
5.12 |
$ 23.76 |
$ 49,410 |
| Ship and Boat Building |
5,820 |
3.81 |
$ 26.92 |
$ 55,990 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) |
3,220 |
0.41 |
$ 24.20 |
$ 50,340 |
| Employment Services |
3,050 |
0.08 |
$ 23.21 |
$ 48,280 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) |
2,660 |
0.56 |
$ 23.11 |
$ 48,070 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) |
25,490 |
5.12 |
$ 23.76 |
$ 49,410 |
| Ship and Boat Building |
5,820 |
3.81 |
$ 26.92 |
$ 55,990 |
| Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing |
1,640 |
0.97 |
$ 23.05 |
$ 47,950 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) |
2,660 |
0.56 |
$ 23.11 |
$ 48,070 |
| Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing |
230 |
0.56 |
$ 25.93 |
$ 53,940 |
Top paying industries for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
Geographic profile for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Texas |
6,940 |
0.51 |
1.35 |
$ 24.14 |
$ 50,220 |
| Wisconsin |
3,110 |
1.08 |
2.83 |
$ 24.93 |
$ 51,850 |
| California |
2,670 |
0.15 |
0.39 |
$ 26.85 |
$ 55,850 |
| Illinois |
2,480 |
0.41 |
1.08 |
$ 24.17 |
$ 50,280 |
| Indiana |
2,470 |
0.78 |
2.05 |
$ 23.20 |
$ 48,260 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Rhode Island |
1,620 |
3.32 |
8.72 |
$ 27.93 |
$ 58,090 |
| Maine |
840 |
1.36 |
3.57 |
$ 26.31 |
$ 54,730 |
| Alabama |
2,220 |
1.08 |
2.85 |
$ 23.64 |
$ 49,170 |
| Wisconsin |
3,110 |
1.08 |
2.83 |
$ 24.93 |
$ 51,850 |
| Indiana |
2,470 |
0.78 |
2.05 |
$ 23.20 |
$ 48,260 |
Top paying states for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Massachusetts |
1,050 |
0.29 |
0.76 |
$ 28.33 |
$ 58,920 |
| Alaska |
140 |
0.44 |
1.16 |
$ 28.22 |
$ 58,710 |
| Rhode Island |
1,620 |
3.32 |
8.72 |
$ 27.93 |
$ 58,090 |
| Connecticut |
520 |
0.31 |
0.82 |
$ 27.69 |
$ 57,590 |
| Arizona |
540 |
0.17 |
0.45 |
$ 27.53 |
$ 57,270 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
2,700 |
0.85 |
2.23 |
$ 25.80 |
$ 53,660 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
1,830 |
0.41 |
1.07 |
$ 25.01 |
$ 52,020 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
1,740 |
0.44 |
1.16 |
$ 23.76 |
$ 49,410 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA |
1,700 |
2.98 |
7.83 |
$ 27.86 |
$ 57,940 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
1,630 |
0.17 |
0.45 |
$ 26.49 |
$ 55,110 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
1,000 |
0.66 |
1.73 |
$ 26.94 |
$ 56,040 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
850 |
0.30 |
0.79 |
$ 24.09 |
$ 50,110 |
| Mobile, AL |
800 |
4.69 |
12.32 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
780 |
0.28 |
0.74 |
$ 28.90 |
$ 60,110 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
780 |
0.41 |
1.08 |
$ 26.36 |
$ 54,820 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Mobile, AL |
800 |
4.69 |
12.32 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN |
570 |
4.17 |
10.94 |
$ 25.35 |
$ 52,730 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA |
310 |
3.84 |
10.09 |
$ 22.92 |
$ 47,660 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA |
1,700 |
2.98 |
7.83 |
$ 27.86 |
$ 57,940 |
| Decatur, AL |
140 |
2.48 |
6.51 |
$ 21.92 |
$ 45,580 |
| Wausau, WI |
140 |
2.03 |
5.34 |
$ 24.64 |
$ 51,240 |
| Grand Island, NE |
80 |
1.83 |
4.82 |
$ 19.77 |
$ 41,120 |
| Sheboygan, WI |
110 |
1.81 |
4.76 |
$ 24.60 |
$ 51,170 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
260 |
1.70 |
4.46 |
$ 29.72 |
$ 61,820 |
| Dothan, AL |
100 |
1.68 |
4.41 |
$ 18.83 |
$ 39,170 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA |
30 |
0.35 |
0.93 |
$ 32.83 |
$ 68,290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
130 |
0.05 |
0.14 |
$ 32.37 |
$ 67,330 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT |
90 |
0.22 |
0.56 |
$ 31.90 |
$ 66,350 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI |
30 |
0.22 |
0.59 |
$ 31.54 |
$ 65,610 |
| Idaho Falls, ID |
60 |
0.72 |
1.90 |
$ 30.96 |
$ 64,400 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA |
50 |
1.03 |
2.71 |
$ 30.70 |
$ 63,860 |
| Albany, OR |
60 |
1.25 |
3.27 |
$ 30.61 |
$ 63,680 |
| Anchorage, AK |
50 |
0.31 |
0.80 |
$ 30.27 |
$ 62,960 |
| Baton Rouge, LA |
410 |
1.06 |
2.79 |
$ 30.09 |
$ 62,590 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC |
490 |
0.67 |
1.76 |
$ 30.05 |
$ 62,500 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters:
About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024
United States Department of Labor
