Also called: Ship Fitter, Structural Fitter
Cuts, shapes, and fits giant steel plates together to build ship hulls.
Shipfitters read blueprints, use torches and jacks to line up massive steel sections, and tack-weld them so welders can finish. A ship gets built piece by piece through their work.
BLS median for structural metal fitters is about $49k; shipyard fitters often earn $55k-$70k with experience.
Apprenticeship, about 4 years after high school. Shipyard apprenticeship (e.g., Newport News Shipbuilding's Apprentice School, Norfolk or Puget Sound Naval Shipyard apprenticeships, Electric Boat, Bath Iron Works), which pays you while you learn or trade school.
Ways in: Apprenticeship, Trade school, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Shipfitting (apprenticeship), Welding Technology (trade school).
Growing slowly (about 0% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Robots weld some flat panels, but fitting and aligning giant curved steel sections by hand stays human work.
Classes: Welding CTE class, Geometry, Blueprint reading or drafting.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-2041.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.