Oregon Labor Market Information System
WIRED Occupation Report Center

Main Menu

Data Tools
WIRED Occupation Report
for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (51-2041) in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
Occupational Description Fabricate, lay out, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.
Employment Projections for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
2008
Employment		 2018
Employment
Change		 %
Change		 Projected
Annual
Growth
Openings		 Projected
Annual
Replacement
Openings		 Projected
Total
Annual
Openings
1,488 1,479 -9 -0.6% 0 31 31

Replacement openings are caused by existing workers permanently leaving their occupation. Many additional job openings occur due to job changes within occupations.
Data Sources and Limitations
Wages (All Industries, 2010) for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
10th
Percentile
Wage		 25th
Percentile
Wage		 50th
Percentile
Wage		 75th
Percentile
Wage		 90th
Percentile
Wage		 Avg
Hourly
Wage		 Avg
Annual
Wage
$12.99 $16.01 $19.28 $21.92 $24.08 $18.77 $39,042
Data Sources and Limitations
State of Oregon License Information for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters No statewide license is required for this occupation.


Current Job Openings for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters in the Oregon Portion of the WIRED Region There are 5 current openings for this occupation. Openings 1 through 5 are listed below.
Job Title Date Posted Location Wage Offered
Metal Fabricator 5/22/13 Forest Grove $13.00/hr to $18.00/hr DOE, Neg.
Metal Fabricator "Contract To Hire" 5/17/13 Portland $15.00/hr to $16.00/hr DOE
Fabrication Shop Foreman 5/10/13 Portland $20.00/hr to $22.00/hr DOE
Fabricator 4/2/13 Portland $13.00/hr to $15.00/hr DOE
Metal Fabricator 3/5/13 Wood Willage DOE, Neg.


Major Industries of Employment for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
Industry NAICS Ownership 2008
Employment
Construction 23 Private 90
Specialty Trade Contractors 238 Private 88
Building Foundation/Exterior Contractors 2381 Private 55
Building Equipment Contractors 2382 Private 14
Manufacturing 31 Private 1,360
Primary Metal Manufacturing 331 Private 58
Foundries 3315 Private 58
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 Private 913
Architectural and Structural Metals 3323 Private 570
Boilers, Tanks, and Shipping Containers 3324 Private 72
Machine Shops and Threaded Products 3327 Private 71
Other Fabricated Metal Product Mfg 3329 Private 187
Machinery Manufacturing 333 Private 249
Ag., Construction, and Mining Machinery 3331 Private 73
Industrial Machinery Manufacturing 3332 Private 70
Commercial & Service Industry Machinery 3333 Private 13
Other General Purpose Machinery Mfg 3339 Private 93
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 Private 104
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Mfg 3362 Private 53
Ship and Boat Building 3366 Private 43
Furniture and Related Product Mfg 337 Private 18
Office Furniture and Fixtures Mfg 3372 Private 18


Educational Requirements for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter this occupation. Those with a postsecondary non-degree award have a competitive advantage in the labor market. In addition, long-term on-the-job training is typically needed, once employed, to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation.
Skills for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
  • Align Frame
  • Apply Independent Judgment In Assembly Procedures
  • Apply Machinist Practices
  • Apply Metal Forming And Shaping Techniques And Processes
  • Apply Quality Assurance Techniques
  • Apply Statistical Process Control (Spc)
  • Assemble Metal Components
  • Fabricate Beams
  • File Metal And Plastic
  • Fit Dowels
  • Hand Tap Metal, Wood Or Other Material
  • Identify Base Metals For Welding
  • Inspect Components During Manufacturing
  • Maintain Consistent Quality
  • Maintain Welding Machines And Equipment
  • Maneuver Heavy Objects
  • Operate Cranes, Hoists, Or Mechanical Booms
  • Operate Grinding Machines
  • Operate Machine Tools
  • Operate Precision Measuring Devices, Tools And Equipment
  • Operate Specialized Metal Shaping Machines
  • Operate Tube Or Conduit Bending Equipment
  • Perform Basic Assembly
  • Perform Combination Welding
  • Perform Repetitive Tasks In Assembly Setting
  • Read And Understand Operating Manuals
  • Read Blueprints And Technical Drawings
  • Read Production Layouts
  • Read Schematics And Specifications
  • Recognize Characteristics Of Metals Or Alloys
  • Sandblast Metal Parts And Objects
  • Set Up And Operate Drilling Machines
  • Set Up Specialized Machines For Metals Manufacturing
  • Smooth, Sharpen, Polish Or Grind Metal Objects
  • Solve Machine Tool Problems
  • Sort Raw Materials Used In Manufacturing
  • Sustain Output Levels Of Assembled Items
  • Understand Manufacturing Methods And Techniques
  • Use Acetylene Torch
  • Use Algebra
  • Use Geometry
  • Use Metal Forming Equipment Such As Shears, Brakes, And Roll
  • Use Metric System
  • Use X-Ray And Magnetic Inspection
  • Weld Metal Parts


Schools and Training Providers for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters The training providers listed below offer one or more of the following programs:

No providers were found for the above programs of training.


Graduates and Program Completers for training programs related to Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

Program Award State Completers Year
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Postsec. Awards/Cert./Diplomas; 1-2 yrs. Oregon 5 2008
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Apprenticeship completers Oregon 2 2008


Employment Service Job Applicants - January 2011 for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
Occupation Oregon Job Applicants by Experience Level Washington Applicants
None <1 Year 1-4 Years 5-9 Years 10+ Years
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters 248 223 552 263 419 0

Occupational experience is largely self-reported.

Applicants counts include only those registered with the Oregon State Employment Department and the Washington State Employment Security Department. They do not represent all job applicants across the WIRED region.

Applicants in Oregon may be listed under multiple occupational categories, so summing applicant counts across occupational classifications will result in some double-counting.

Source: Oregon Employment Department, Washington State Employment Security Department


Related Occupations The scores listed below indicates how closely the skills for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters matches the occupation in the list. A score of 100% means the occupations have identical skill sets. A maximum of 10 occupations are displayed below.
Occupation Skill Overlap
Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers 54%
Metal Workers And Plastic Workers, All Other 49%
Tool And Die Makers 48%
Drilling And Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plas 47%
Patternmakers, Metal And Plastic 47%
Model Makers, Metal And Plastic 47%
Lay-Out Workers, Metal And Plastic 46%
Machinists 45%
Milling And Planing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic 41%
Tool Grinders, Filers, And Sharpeners 41%
The Oregon-Washington WIRED Region consists of Clackamas, Columbia, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington and Yamhill counties in Oregon, and Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties in Washington.