Salary Trends: The Future of Metal Fabrication

What is Metal Fabrication

For job seekers who are looking for a field of work that offers job satisfaction and plenty of work opportunities, metal fabrication can be a great choice. Many industries rely on it for their operations and it’s not that difficult to find a job role that suits your skill sets and educational background.

In this article, we will look at the industry outlook for metal fabrication and salary trends for metal fabricators in London. But before we dive in, let’s understand more about metal fabrication, the various types of job roles available and why there is an increasing demand for experts in this field.

What You Need To Know About Metal Fabrication

Metal fabrication involves the conjoining of multiple metal structures by skilled metal workers who cut and join the pieces together, using tools and machinery. The metal work sector forms the foundation of several industries and is not just limited to supporting the infrastructure needs of the country. Construction, automotive, energy, aerospace, robotics, and manufacturing are just a few such industries that provide employment to millions of metal workers in the country. This means that most economic activities in the country rely heavily on metal works, in general.

What’s Fuelling The Rising Demand For Metal Fabricators

The economy is expanding and there is a growing number of workers who are approaching the age of retirement. Apart from that, not many young people are aware of the career opportunities available in the field of metal fabrication. As a result, there is a noticeable shortage of skilled labour and it’s affecting all the industries that rely on metal workers. This shortage is expected to grow even more amidst the rising demand for metal workers across various industries and a growing economy.

Types Of Job Roles In Metal Fabrication

To find a suitable career in the metal fabrication industry, it’s important to learn about all the types of job roles available. You would be surprised to know that metal fabrication work doesn’t just involve cutting, bending or joining metal structures, but also the design and programming aspects of the work. Depending on your personal preferences, educational background, and the kind of job you are looking for, there are plenty of work opportunities available in this field, including but not limited to the following job roles:

• Machinist
• Welder
• Fabricator
• CAD engineer/designer
• Press operator
• CNC machine operator
• CNC Machine programmer
• Robot programmer
• Estimator
• Quality control expert

Each one of the job roles listed above has different requirements and responsibilities. If you are wondering which role would suit you the best, here’s some advice in this regard:

• If you prefer working on hands-on tasks, you should consider the role of a machinist
• If you have a creative type personality, you might enjoy the role of a fabricator
• Those who are inclined towards perfectionism can find a suitable job in the quality control department
• If problem-solving is your forte, then an engineering role may be more suitable for you

You can also get a chance to gain hands-on work experience with advanced technologies like CNC machine tools and robots. There are also job roles for those who are good at designing, computing and programming, so if you have prior training or experience with any of these, you will find it relatively easy to find a rewarding career path in the metalworking industry.

Salary Trends In The Field Of Metal Fabrication

Growing demand for metal Fabricators and shortage of skilled labour has resulted in an uptick of the average salary in the field of metal fabrication which is somewhere close to £34,000. Pandemic and the economic climate hasn’t affected this number over the last year. When the average year-on-year pay for all jobs has reduced by over 6% during the last year, that for metal fabricator jobs has gone up by half a percent, whereas, the number of job ads for the fabricator role, for example, have gone up by more than 88% in the same duration.

These numbers not only point towards a growing number of job opportunities in the field of metal working but also provide a clear picture of the industry outlook in the near future. One may also conclude that the salary trends are looking optimistic compared to Other industries where automation has taken the lead role and subsequently the need for skilled labour has been gradually declining.

Final Thoughts

There are several labour market forces that are potentially triggering the growing demand and wages in the field of metal fabrication. At the same time, those employed in this field of work have high job satisfaction as they build things that last a long while and make a significant contribution to the economy and the lives of common people. Moreover, you get the freedom to think creatively, collaborate with other like-minded people and solve problems and technical challenges in the field of metal working.

Not many individuals grow up dreaming to build a career in metal fabrication. However, If your career goals align with the benefits that the metal working industry has to offer, finding a job in this field could be an extremely rewarding step for your career growth.