Shipfitter Salary: United States
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The median annual wage for Shipfitter in the United States was $51,330 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers earned between $45,610 and $61,250.
Broader occupation Our title "Shipfitter" is reported by BLS as SOC 51-2041 Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters. BLS groups Shipfitter within Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.
Annual wages
Shipfitter, the United States, annual wages: 10% earned less than $37,960, half earned less than the median of $51,330, 90% earned less than $72,280 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,960 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $45,610 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $51,330 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $61,250 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $72,280 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $54,030 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages
Shipfitter, the United States, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $18.25, half earned less than the median of $24.68, 90% earned less than $34.75 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.25 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $21.93 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $24.68 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $29.45 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $34.75 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $25.98 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Employment: BLS estimates 52,360 workers in this occupation nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-2041 Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters, National.
What BLS wages include. Base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. They leave out overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Target metros
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th percentile | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $48,110 | $38,330 to $54,240 | 750 | 0.79 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $46,330 | $36,490 to $49,310 | 350 | 0.71 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $48,570 | $40,580 to $53,920 | 350 | 0.73 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $51,300 | $40,960 to $60,980 | 80 | 0.32 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $56,870 | $47,030 to $60,920 | 2,240 | 0.7 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $56,870 | $47,030 to $60,920 | 2,240 | 0.7 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $49,280 | $41,030 to $59,830 | 1,170 | 0.86 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $50,520 | $43,420 to $58,350 | 1,580 | 1.43 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $68,280 | $58,240 to $68,580 | 2,290 | 1.51 |
How does Shipfitter pay differ by industry?
These are national industry estimates for SOC 51-2041, not local offers or separate estimates for the niche title. Industry names are exactly as BLS publishes them.
| Industry | NAICS | Median | Basis | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 23 | $52,690 | Annual | 5,460 |
| Construction of Buildings | 236000 | $54,030 | Annual | 780 |
| Residential Building Construction | 236100 | $44,770 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | $54,770 | Annual | 710 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 237000 | $56,750 | Annual | 420 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | $57,720 | Annual | 230 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 237900 | $53,360 | Annual | 170 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 238000 | $52,330 | Annual | 4,270 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 238100 | $57,450 | Annual | 2,200 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | $52,960 | Annual | 760 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 238300 | $49,920 | Annual | 480 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 238900 | $38,530 | Annual | 820 |
| Food Manufacturing | 311000 | $61,680 | Annual | 30 |
| Manufacturing | 31-33 | $51,250 | Annual | 41,590 |
| Textile Product Mills | 314000 | $45,100 | Annual | 80 |
| Other Textile Product Mills | 314900 | $45,100 | Annual | 80 |
| Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 326000 | $44,410 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing | 326100 | $44,410 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 327000 | $47,390 | Annual | 160 |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | 331000 | $60,760 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 331200 | $41,380 | Annual | 280 |
| Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 331400 | $47,030 | Annual | 50 |
| Foundries | 331500 | $46,660 | Annual | 80 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 332000 | $49,820 | Annual | 26,720 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 3320A1 | $50,850 | Annual | 2,440 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 3320A2 | $49,560 | Annual | 23,560 |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 332700 | $52,290 | Annual | 560 |
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 332800 | $51,090 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Machinery Manufacturing | 333000 | $51,900 | Annual | 2,650 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 3330A1 | $51,660 | Annual | 2,500 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 333500 | $64,850 | Annual | 40 |
| Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 333600 | $57,120 | Annual | 80 |
| Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 334000 | $50,810 | Annual | 150 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 334500 | $50,810 | Annual | 140 |
| Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 335000 | $55,250 | Annual | 720 |
| Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 335100 | $46,280 | Annual | 40 |
| Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 335300 | $56,380 | Annual | 100 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 336000 | $59,440 | Annual | 7,170 |
| Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 336100 | $49,300 | Annual | 90 |
| Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 336200 | $49,150 | Annual | 1,000 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 336300 | $45,410 | Annual | 80 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 336400 | $59,270 | Annual | 710 |
| Ship and Boat Building | 336600 | $64,180 | Annual | 5,100 |
| Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 336900 | $52,880 | Annual | 150 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 337000 | $46,430 | Annual | 350 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 3370A1 | $46,430 | Annual | 340 |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 339000 | $49,820 | Annual | 730 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 339900 | $49,810 | Annual | 710 |
| Support Activities for Transportation | 488000 | $59,940 | Annual | 230 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | 488100 | $17,260 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation | 488300 | $68,700 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 53 | $47,270 | Annual | 50 |
| Rental and Leasing Services | 532000 | $47,270 | Annual | 50 |
| Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) | 5320A1 | $47,270 | Annual | 50 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 54 | $64,690 | Annual | 370 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 541000 | $64,690 | Annual | 370 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | $66,090 | Annual | 260 |
| Specialized Design Services | 541400 | $46,470 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Waste Management and Remediation Services | 562000 | $30,350 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Waste Collection | 562100 | $30,350 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Repair and Maintenance | 811000 | $54,250 | Annual | 490 |
| Automotive Repair and Maintenance | 811100 | $64,420 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | $54,320 | Annual | 350 |
Industry estimates are national. Do not combine an industry median with a local percentile to invent an industry-specific local rate.
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
Shipyard Welding Foreman (51-1011)Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?
This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.
The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.
What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Shipfitter in National as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Shipfitter in National, the published median for SOC 51-2041, Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters, is $51,330 per year. The middle half of the Shipfitter in National wage distribution runs from $45,610 to $61,250, a width of $15,640 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
For the national Shipfitter comparison, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN reports $68,280 per year while New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $56,870 per year; these are the largest-employment metros with published medians for the occupation, rather than neighboring places to a national estimate. The United States Shipfitter figure pools markets with different work scopes and schedules, so use the area table before setting a local offer.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters, read alongside Shipfitter in National, are Support Activities for Water Transportation at $68,700 per year (NAICS 488300); Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services at $66,090 per year (NAICS 541300); Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing at $64,850 per year (NAICS 333500). Those Shipfitter in National industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Shipfitter in National median was $49,900 per year in May 2024, compared with $51,330 in May 2025, a published difference of $1,430. That Shipfitter in National comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $49,900 and $51,330 Shipfitter in National estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before offering $51,330 per year for Shipfitter in National, separate overtime, per diem, lodging and mobilization separately; prevailing wage obligations and union scale depend on the assignment and agreement, not a special BLS traveling-worker percentile. The Shipfitter in National BLS comparison includes ordinary wages and qualifying incentive pay, but leaves overtime, discretionary bonuses, benefits and relocation outside this wage figure. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Shipfitter in National can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Shipfitter in National is broader: BLS groups Shipfitter within Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately. When calibrating a Shipfitter in National opening, the work checks include Layout and fit-up from ship drawings; welding qualification to AWS or ABS where combined; ask for evidence of that scope instead of using a percentile as a substitute for qualification. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Shipfitter in National buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Shipfitter in National buyer?
Shipfitter in National has a published middle-half band of $45,610 to $61,250, a width of $15,640 per year, with median $51,330. An offer inside that Shipfitter in National band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Shipfitter in National?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ are the largest-employment comparison markets used for Shipfitter in National. Comparing those Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters tables with the $51,330 Shipfitter in National median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Shipfitter in National?
Shipfitter in National uses national industry rows for SOC 51-2041, not local sector-specific wages. Support Activities for Water Transportation leads the selected sortable rows at $68,700 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Shipfitter in National.
What changed between the releases for Shipfitter in National?
Shipfitter in National moved from $49,900 in May 2024 to $51,330 in May 2025. These Shipfitter in National published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 51-2041. Published annual median: $49,900 (May 2024) and $51,330 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.