How To Become A Fabricator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a fabricator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A fabricator is an individual who works with metal, plastic, or other materials to create products or parts. They use specialized tools and equipment to cut, shape, and join materials together according to detailed specifications. Fabricators may work in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, construction, and automotive. They must have a strong understanding of design and engineering principles, as well as excellent math skills for measuring and calculating dimensions.

ScoreFabricatorUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,922

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.5

Growth Rate -1%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.60%

Asian 8.06%

Black or African American 11.89%

Hispanic or Latino 17.02%

Unknown 3.83%

White 58.60%

Gender

female 10.21%

male 89.79%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress Level

6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.1

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.9

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Fabricator?

Pros

Opportunity to work with your hands and be creative
Potential for job stability and steady income
High demand for skilled fabricators in various industries
Ability to specialize in a particular area of fabrication
Satisfaction from seeing a finished product that you created

Cons

Physically demanding work that can lead to injury or strain
High stress levels due to meeting deadlines and customer demands
Limited benefits or job security if working as a freelancer or independent contractor
Noise and dust exposure can be harmful to health over time
Need for constant learning and skill development as technology advances

Key steps to become a fabricator

Explore fabricator education requirements

Most common fabricator degrees

High School Diploma

43.9 %

Associate

20.0 %

Bachelor's

16.3 %

Start to develop specific fabricator skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	9.81%
Basic Math	7.82%
Calipers	7.68%
Math	6.66%
Tape Measure	5.90%

Research fabricator duties and responsibilities

Finish weld using SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW as required.
Gain experience in tig and arc welding, as well as cleaning welds.
Design, manufacture, and assemble plastic products through one of a number of methods such as molding and extrusion.
Operate equipment and power tools, including arc welding and gas welding equipment, grinders, sanders, lathes and saws.

Prepare your fabricator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your fabricator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a fabricator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Fabricator Resume templates

Build a professional Fabricator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Fabricator resume.

Apply for fabricator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a fabricator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do fabricators rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Fabricator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

Learning from the best so I will be able to make a name for myself

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Pros

Piping,tanks ,vessels ,structure

Cons

All types of fabricator technician jobs like & Because i like my job .