Metal Fabricator Job Description: Duties, Template & Pay (2026)
A metal fabricator turns drawings and raw steel, aluminum or stainless into finished parts and assemblies: laying out, cutting, bending, fitting and tack-welding pieces, often finishing the welds themselves in smaller shops. The job sits between a welder and a machine operator, and the posting has to say which end of that range you need. This page has a metal fabricator job description template, the welder fabricator variation, the OSHA welding rules that apply, pay and interview questions.
What a metal fabricator does
A metal fabricator reads a drawing, works out what material and sequence the job needs, and builds it: marking and cutting stock, forming it on brakes and rolls, fitting the pieces in jigs or on the table, and tacking them together for a welder or welding them out. In a structural shop that means beams, columns, stairs and rails. In a job shop it can be anything from brackets to machine frames and tanks.
BLS covers the role as structural metal fabricators and fitters (SOC 51-2041), part of its assemblers and fabricators group, and describes the work this way: they “cut, align, and fit together structural metal parts and may help weld or rivet the parts together.” O*NET's sample of reported job titles for the occupation includes fabricator, fitter, metal fabricator, steel fabricator, structural steel fitter and ship fitter.
Metal fabricator duties
From O*NET's task list for structural metal fabricators and fitters:
- Study engineering drawings and blueprints to determine material requirements and task sequences
- Lay out and examine metal stock or workpieces to make sure specifications are met
- Locate and mark bending and cutting lines, allowing for stock thickness, machine and welding shrinkage
- Set up and operate fabricating machines such as brakes, rolls, shears, flame cutters, grinders and drill presses
- Position, align, fit and weld parts to form complete units or subunits, using jigs, welding torches and hand tools
- Tack-weld fitted parts together
- Verify workpieces against specifications with squares, rulers and measuring tapes
- Remove high spots and cut bevels using files, portable grinders and cutting torches
- Move parts into position manually or with hoists or cranes
- Design and build templates and fixtures
Requirements and the welding safety rules
There is no federal license for metal fabricators. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for welders, and notes that “Professional organizations offer courses leading to general certification. Some employers require general or specific certification for particular jobs.” If your customers or the codes you build to require certified welders, say which certification and position in the posting. If they do not, a weld test in your shop tells you more than a card.
OSHA's welding, cutting and brazing standard puts duties on the employer that belong in your hiring and onboarding. Under 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(xiii), management must recognize its responsibility for the safe usage of cutting and welding equipment and must:
- “establish areas for cutting and welding, and establish procedures for cutting and welding, in other areas” based on fire potential
- “Designate an individual responsible for authorizing cutting and welding operations in areas not specifically designed” for them
- “Insist that cutters or welders and their supervisors are suitably trained in the safe operation of their equipment and the safe use of the process”
And under 1910.252(a)(2)(xv), “Cutting or welding shall be permitted only in areas that are or have been made fire safe.” For a fabricator who works in the field as well as the shop, hot work permits and fire watch are part of the job; say so. This is general information, not legal advice.
Metal fabricator job description template
Copy this into your ATS or job board, replace the bracketed fields and delete what does not apply. It is written for a shop fabricator who fits and welds; the variations below cover fitter-only and welder fabricator roles.
Job title
Metal Fabricator [/ Fitter-Welder], [Shift], [Company name], [City, ST]
Summary
[Company name] builds [structural steel / custom machinery frames / tanks / architectural metal] in our [size] shop in [city]. We are hiring a metal fabricator to lay out, cut, form, fit and weld [steel / aluminum / stainless] parts and assemblies from drawings. You will work with [number] fabricators and welders and report to the shop [lead / supervisor].
[Schedule and start time, overtime expectations]. [Pay range]. [One sentence on what is good about working here.]
What you will do
• Read drawings and work out material, cut lists and sequence
• Lay out and mark stock, and cut with [saw / shear / plasma / oxy-fuel]
• Form parts on [press brake / rolls / ironworker]
• Fit and tack assemblies using jigs, fixtures, clamps and squares
• Weld out assemblies using [MIG / flux-core / TIG / stick] [if applicable]
• Grind, clean and check parts against the drawing
• Move material safely with [overhead crane / forklift]
• Follow shop safety and hot work procedures
What you need
• [1–2+] years of fabrication or fitting experience, or a welding or fabrication program
• Able to read shop drawings and use a tape, square and levels accurately
• [Welding process] ability to pass our shop weld test
• Own basic hand tools [if you expect it]
• Able to lift [50 lb] and stand for the shift; steel-toe boots
Nice to have
• [AWS D1.1 / other code] certification in [position]
• Press brake setup or CNC plasma experience
• Crane or forklift experience
What we offer
• [Pay range], [overtime and shift differential]
• [Benefits and eligibility date]
• [Tool or boot allowance]
• [Paid weld certification, path to lead fabricator]
How to apply
[One step. Say when the weld test happens and how long it takes.]
Requirements: what to ask for, and what to drop
| Requirement | What to know |
|---|---|
| Print reading | Keep it. Reading a drawing and turning it into a cut list is the core of the job and the hardest part to teach quickly. |
| Weld certification | Require it only when a code, customer or contract does. Otherwise use your own weld test; it screens for the process and position you actually use. |
| Years of experience | One to two years is enough for a fabricator working under a lead. Graduates of welding programs can fill entry roles. |
| Own tools | State exactly what you expect. An open-ended tools requirement puts off newer fabricators. |
| High school diploma | BLS lists it as the typical entry-level education for welders. Make it preferred rather than required if a strong weld test matters more to you. |
| Physical demands | Be specific: lifting, heat, noise, standing, overhead welding if it applies. |
Welder fabricator job description
A welder fabricator does both halves of the job: builds the part from the drawing and welds it out, usually without a separate fitter. It is the common setup in small and mid-sized job shops, and it is a harder hire because you need two skill sets in one person.
To adjust the template: put the welding processes, materials and thicknesses at the top of “What you need”, name the positions (flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead), and make the weld test the first step after the form. Pay should be set against local welder wages as much as fabricator wages, since your candidates are comparing both. The welder job description covers the welding-only role, and the welder helper job description covers the entry-level role that often feeds this one.
Fabricator job description variations
“Fabricator” on its own is a broad title. Tell candidates which kind you mean in the first line of the posting.
Structural steel fabricator
Beams, columns, plates, stairs and rails built to structural drawings and codes. Crane work, layout of large members and code welding are the differentiators.
Sheet metal fabricator
Thinner gauge work on brakes, shears and punches, often with TIG or spot welding. The sheet metal worker job description covers the construction and HVAC side of this trade.
Fitter (fit-up only)
Large shops split fitting from welding: the fitter lays out, fits and tacks; welders complete the joints. Drop weld-out duties from the template and emphasize layout accuracy.
Production fabricator
Repeat parts in fixtures on a production line, sometimes alongside robotic welding. Less print reading, more pace and consistency. The assembler job description is a closer fit for the lightest of these roles.
What metal fabricators earn
Structural metal fabricators and fitters had a median wage of $24.68 an hour, or $51,330 a year, in May 2025. Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers had a median of $25.84 an hour, or $53,750 a year, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $39,240 and the highest 10 percent more than $77,530.
| Occupation (SOC) | Employment, 2025 | Projected change, 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|
| Structural metal fabricators and fitters (51-2041) | 52,300 | −6% |
| Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers | 437,700 | +2% |
BLS projects about 40,300 openings a year for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers over the decade. A welder fabricator is recruited from that wider welding pool, so check what welding shops near you are paying before you set a range.
Interview questions for a metal fabricator
Run these alongside a print and a weld test. Talk tells you about judgment; the test tells you about hands.
1. Here is a drawing. Talk me through how you would build this part.
A good answer covers material and cut list, order of operations, where they would fixture it, and how they would control distortion. Candidates who start cutting before checking dimensions are a risk.
2. How do you allow for weld shrinkage and distortion on a long assembly?
Listen for tacking sequence, back-stepping or alternating welds, pre-setting or clamping, and checking square as they go.
3. Which welding processes and positions are you comfortable with, and on what thicknesses?
You want specific, honest answers. “I can do anything” is weaker than “flux-core all position on structural, MIG on sheet, learning TIG.”
4. A part you built is out of tolerance at inspection. What do you do?
Good answers: stop, find out why, tell the lead, and fix the cause before building the next one. Hiding or “making it fit” is the red flag.
5. What do you check before you start cutting or welding in an area you have not worked in before?
Listen for combustibles, hot work permits, fire watch, ventilation and whether anyone nearby needs shielding. That maps directly to the OSHA duties above.
6. What machines have you set up yourself, not just run?
Press brake, plasma table, ironworker or saw setup separates fabricators who can work alone from those who need a lead nearby.
What it costs to reach a metal fabricator
Metal fabricators and welder fabricators fall in the skilled trades role family in our 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark. On Meta it ran a median cost per applicant of $14.14, with the middle half of campaigns between $7.58 and $21.49, a blended figure of $10.74 and a 15 percent apply rate. The all-role median is $13.88. That is cost per applicant, not cost per hire.
Apply rate explains 70 percent of the variation in cost per applicant across the benchmark. For fabricators, ask about the processes they weld and whether they read drawings, then book the weld test on the first call. See the full benchmark data.
The job description is not the job ad
The template is the document for your files. The ad has to stop a fabricator who already has a job.
- Lead with pay, shift and overtime, in the first line of the ad.
- Name the work: what you build, which materials and processes, and the equipment in the shop.
- Say there is a weld test and how long it takes. It signals a real shop and filters out people who cannot do the work.
- Keep the form to a few questions and call back the same day.
More on the hiring side is in welder shortage recruiting and how to hire skilled trades fast.
Frequently asked questions
What does a metal fabricator do?
A metal fabricator builds metal parts and assemblies from drawings. The work includes reading blueprints, laying out and marking stock, cutting and forming metal on saws, shears, brakes and rolls, fitting parts in jigs or fixtures, tack-welding them together and often welding them out, then grinding and checking the finished piece against the drawing.
What is the difference between a welder and a fabricator?
A welder joins metal. A fabricator builds the part: reads the drawing, lays out, cuts, forms and fits the pieces, and may or may not do the final welding. In larger shops the fabricator or fitter tacks assemblies for welders to finish. In smaller shops one welder fabricator does both, which is why the posting should say which you need.
What should a welder fabricator job description include?
Include both halves of the job: print reading, layout, cutting and forming, fit-up, and welding. Name the welding processes, materials, thicknesses and positions, any code certification you require, the equipment in the shop, the shift, the pay range and the weld test. Put welding requirements first, because that is what candidates check.
How much does a metal fabricator make?
Structural metal fabricators and fitters had a median wage of $24.68 an hour, or $51,330 a year, in May 2025, according to BLS and O*NET. Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers had a median of $25.84 an hour, or $53,750 a year. Local rates vary widely, so compare nearby shop postings before setting pay.
Do metal fabricators need to be certified?
No federal license is required. BLS notes that professional organizations offer courses leading to general certification and that some employers require general or specific certification for particular jobs. Require a named welding certification only when a code, customer or contract calls for it; otherwise a weld test in your shop is a better screen.
What skills should a fabricator have?
The core skills are reading shop drawings, accurate layout and measuring, operating cutting and forming equipment such as saws, shears, brakes and plasma tables, fitting and tacking assemblies, and controlling distortion. Welding in the processes you use, safe crane and forklift handling, and good hot work habits round it out.
What OSHA rules apply to fabrication shops?
The welding, cutting and brazing standard at 29 CFR 1910.252 requires management to establish areas and procedures for cutting and welding, designate who authorizes hot work in other areas, and insist that welders, cutters and their supervisors are suitably trained. Cutting or welding is permitted only in areas that are or have been made fire safe.
What interview questions should I ask a metal fabricator?
Hand them a drawing and ask how they would build it, then ask how they control weld distortion, which processes and positions they weld, what they do when a part fails inspection, and what they check before hot work in a new area. Pair the questions with a short fit-up and weld test in your shop.
Is metal fabrication a growing job?
BLS projects employment of structural metal fabricators and fitters to decline 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, from 52,300 jobs. Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers are projected to grow 2 percent, with about 40,300 openings a year projected over the decade. A shrinking occupation still has openings when experienced fabricators retire or change jobs.
How much does it cost to recruit a metal fabricator?
On Meta, the skilled trades role family in Boostpoint's 2026 benchmark ran a median of $14.14 per applicant, with the middle half of campaigns between $7.58 and $21.49 and a 15 percent apply rate. That is cost per applicant, not cost per hire; the weld test and your follow-up speed decide how many become hires.
Related job descriptions
Hiring metal fabricators?
The description is the document. Getting it in front of fabricators, fitters and welders near your shop is the part we do.
Wage and projection data for structural metal fabricators and fitters (SOC 51-2041) and welders, cutters, solderers and brazers: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, Assemblers and Fabricators and Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, last modified 27 August 2026; wages are May 2025 OEWS, projections 2025–35; hourly median for 51-2041 and tasks from O*NET OnLine 51-2041.00. Welding safety: 29 CFR 1910.252 on eCFR. General information, not legal advice. Cost-per-applicant and apply-rate figures: Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark, 891 managed campaigns and 1,334 campaign-months. Read at source 24 September 2026.