OSCA 331131

Metal Fabricator

Overview

  • Employed persons

    44,900

  • Employment status

    90.8% Full time

    9.2% Part time

  • Median age

    38 years

  • Employment by sex

    1.2% Female

    98.8% Male

    Almost completely male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    3.4%

  • Main employing industry

    Manufacturing

Indicator Metal Fabricator Total employment
Employed persons 44,900 12,049,400
Median age 38 years 40 years
Full-time share 90.8% 64.2%
Part-time share 9.2% 35.8%
Female employment share 1.2% 48.5%
Male employment share 98.8% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Almost completely male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 3.4% 2.2%
Main employing industry Manufacturing Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Metal Fabricators mark off and fabricate structural steel and other metal stock to make, assemble or repair metal products, pipes and structures, such as boilers and pressure vessels.

What the occupation involves

  • Studies blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine fabrication job requirements
  • Measures and marks out the size, shape and location of cutouts and joints on metal stock
  • Uses specialised tools to cut, bend or shape metal into the desired structure or product
  • Joins metal sections together by welding, bolting and riveting
  • Examines welds for width of bead, penetration and precision, and performs necessary repairs or reworks
  • Cleans and smooths welds by filing, chiselling and grinding
  • May program machinery or computer-aided fabrication tools to optimise the metal fabrication process

Common occupation titles

  • Boilermaker

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 3
equivalent to a mid-level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least 2 years’ on-the-job training).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Technicians and Trades Workers (3)

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Metal Fabricator Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Manufacturing 50.6% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Construction 17.1% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Mining 9.7% Construction 8.9%
    Other Services 3.3% Education and Training 8.8%
    Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 3.1% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 1.9% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Wholesale Trade 1.8% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 1.1% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services 1.1% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.9% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      23.5%

    • Victoria

      18.4%

    • Queensland

      26.9%

    • South Australia

      7.6%

    • Tasmania

      2.6%

    • Northern Territory

      1.0%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      0.4%

    Metal Fabricator Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 10,500 23.5% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 8,300 18.4% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 12,100 26.9% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 3,400 7.6% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 8,800 19.6% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 1,200 2.6% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 450 1.0% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 200 0.4% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Metal Fabricator

    Total employment

    Age group Metal Fabricator Total employment
    15–24 years 17.7% 14.3%
    25–34 years 25.2% 22.7%
    35–44 years 21.4% 22.3%
    45–54 years 18.7% 20.4%
    55–64 years 14.2% 15.3%
    65–74 years 2.6% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.2% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Metal Fabricator Total employment
    Female 1.2% 48.5%
    Male 98.8% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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