Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

ManufacturingO*NET 51-4192.00United States

Lay out reference points and dimensions on metal or plastic stock or workpieces, such as sheets, plates, tubes, structural shapes, castings, or machine parts, for further processing. Includes shipfitters.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $63,613
Projected change: −3.8%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 6.94K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What layout workers, metal and plastic do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills.
Fit and align fabricated parts to be welded or assembled.
Plan locations and sequences of cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and welding operations, using compasses, protractors, dividers, and rules.
Locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks, height gauges, and dial indicators.
Plan and develop layouts from blueprints and templates, applying knowledge of trigonometry, design, effects of heat, and properties of metals.
Lay out and fabricate metal structural parts such as plates, bulkheads, and frames.
Compute layout dimensions, and determine and mark reference points on metal stock or workpieces for further processing, such as welding and assembly.
Lift and position workpieces in relation to surface plates, manually or with hoists, and using parallel blocks and angle plates.
Design and prepare templates of wood, paper, or metal.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $39,632
25th percentile: $50,585
50th percentile: $63,613
75th percentile: $79,287
90th percentile: $94,080

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $63,613 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−3.8%projected to decline

20256,942 jobs

2035 projected6,679 jobs

263 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less: 64.9%
Some college: 14.5%
Certificate: 11.6%
Associate degree: 9%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Welding
Fabrication
Grinding Machine
Hand Tools
Blueprinting
Welding Symbols
Power Tool Operation
Lifting Ability
Aluminum
Blueprint Reading
Personal Protective Equipment
Grinding
Safety Standards
Drilling
Templates
Plasma Cutting
Machinery
Sawing
Tape Measure
Flux-Cored Arc Welding

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Equipment Selection: Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Shipfitters1,033 postings
02Steel Fabricators7 postings
03Structural Fitters4 postings
04Combination Welders3 postings
05Layout Technicians3 postings
06Fitters2 postings
07Pipefitter Journeymen2 postings
08Experience Directors1 postings
09Fitters/Fabricators1 postings
10Heavy Diesel Fitters1 postings
11ICE Technicians1 postings
12Imaging Technicians1 postings
13Manufacturers1 postings
14Pipe Welders1 postings
15Sheet Metal Fabricators1 postings
16Structural Welders1 postings

Top employers

01Aerotek163 postings
02Huntington Ingalls Industries71 postings
03Hutco39 postings
04Craft And Technical Solutions36 postings
05AAA34 postings
06Ameri-Force30 postings
07General Dynamics29 postings
08Delphinus Engineering28 postings
09Bollinger Shipyards26 postings
10International Marine And Industrial Applicators, Llc (Imia)23 postings
11Labor One Staffing22 postings
12Rsc Solutions18 postings
13NSC Technologies14 postings
14Talco Workforce14 postings
15Trade Team14 postings
16Imia13 postings
17Skilled Staffing Solutions13 postings
18Epsilon Systems Solutions12 postings
19CTR Group9 postings
20Eastern Shipbuilding Group9 postings

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