Reads blueprints and fits metal pieces together so welders can join them.
You measure, cut, and tack-weld steel plates into position for a large tank, checking angles with a square.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. On-the-job training; blueprint reading.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Trade school. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Welding Technology.
Growing slowly. No separate BLS projection for this specialty; rating is an estimate based on industry trends.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Laser cutting and robotic welders change the shop, but reading prints and fitting custom metal parts stay hands-on.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to fabrication shops for fitter helper jobs; they teach blueprint reading
Classes: Geometry, Welding CTE, 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.