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Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters vs Sheet Metal Workers

Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index

A factual, source-backed comparison of Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters and Sheet Metal Workers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Sheet Metal Workers
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$49,900
$60,850
Employment · BLS OEWS
53,380
117,470
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
9th pct
16th pct

At a glance

Dimension Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Sheet Metal Workers
Median pay $49,900 $60,850
Employment 53,380 117,470
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection Declining (-16.3%) About average (+2.4%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 4,100 10,600
Typical education · O*NET Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
AI exposure · published exposure studies Low · 9th pct Low · 16th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 5th pct · 11% of tasks 35th pct · 21% of tasks
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index — Automation-leaning (63.8%)
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman No No

Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.

Skills

Shared: Mathematics, Production and Processing, Mechanical, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Near Vision, Visualization, Manual Dexterity, Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Static Strength, English Language, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Category Flexibility, Selective Attention, Finger Dexterity, Trunk Strength, Monitoring, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning, Administration and Management, Education and Training, Design, Time Management.

Specific to Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

  • Operations Monitoring
  • Far Vision
  • Speech Clarity
  • Time Sharing
  • Reaction Time
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Social Perceptiveness

Specific to Sheet Metal Workers

  • Building and Construction
  • Coordination
  • Flexibility of Closure
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Number Facility
  • Perceptual Speed

Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).

Tools & technology

Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Word processing software , Computer aided design CAD software .

Specific to Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

Specific to Sheet Metal Workers

Full profiles

This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters or Sheet Metal Workers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.

More comparisons

Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters vs Sheet Metal Workers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/structural-metal-fabricators-and-fitters-vs-sheet-metal-workers

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters vs Sheet Metal Workers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/structural-metal-fabricators-and-fitters-vs-sheet-metal-workers

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-structural-metal-fabricators-and-fitters-vs-sheet-metal-workers,
  title  = {Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters vs Sheet Metal Workers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/compare/structural-metal-fabricators-and-fitters-vs-sheet-metal-workers}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.