9612-NOC

Labourers in metal fabrication

(NOC 95101)
Annual Earnings
$49,012
Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities
No Formal Education
Job Openings
(2023-2033)
290

Career Overview

Labourers in metal fabrication:

  • Remove excess metal and unwanted materials from metal parts, castings and other metal products and do other labouring activities
  • Work in structural steel, boiler and platework fabrication plants, heavy machinery manufacturing plants, sheet metal fabrication shops, shipbuilding and other metal products manufacturing companies

 

Duties

Labourers in this group perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Read and interpret work orders
  • Operate metal cleaning equipment such as wheelabrators, deburrers and shotblasters to remove excess welds, rust, scale and other material from surfaces of metal parts, castings and other metal products
  • Polish metal products to mirror finish
  • Put metal products in cleaning solutions
  • Help structural steel and platework fitters, sheet metal workers, metalworking machine operators or other metal workers
  • Carry raw materials and finished metal products manually or using hoists or other devices
  • Sort metal sheets and parts, scrap metal and other materials
  • Clean work areas and equipment
  • Load and unload vehicles using hand truck or dolly
  • May cut, grind or chip excess metal from metal products using hand tools

 

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$49,012

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$33.00/hr
Median$23.50/hr
Low$18.00/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2023 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

1,370

% Employed Full Time

55%
Source: 2021 Census

Key aspects of the work in this occupation:

  • Work takes place in an indoor plant environment
  • Working with machinery may be a source of injury
  • Labourers may be exposed to flying metal particles and noise

 

Career Pathways

There is some movement between occupations in this group.

Progression to metalworking machine operator positions is possible with experience.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic

Job Titles

Blacksmith helper
Buffing machine tender - metal products manufacturing
Grinder-deburrer
Labourer - metal fabrication
Metal cleaner - metal products manufacturing
Metalworking machine helper
Plater helper - metal fabrication
Shipfitter helper
Shotblaster - metal fabrication
Wheelabrator operator - metal products manufacturing

Education, Training and Skills

  • Some secondary school education may be required

 

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Academic/Basic Upgrading
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

51%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

48%
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.

45%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

43%
Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

42%
Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

42%
Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

40%
Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

40%
Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

39%
Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

39%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

1,370
Source: 2021 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Employment % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 40 2.9%
Kootenay 20 1.5%
Mainland/Southwest 1,020 74.2%
North Coast and Nechako 20 1.5%
Northeast 25 1.8%
Thompson-Okanagan 95 6.9%
Vancouver Island/Coast 150 10.9%
Source: 2021 Census

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2023-2033)

290
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2023-2033)

Map of BC Map of BC highlighting Cariboo region Map of BC highlighting Kootenay region Map of BC highlighting Mainland/Southwest region Map of BC highlighting North Coast and Nechako region Map of BC highlighting Northeast region Map of BC highlighting Thompson-Okanagan region Map of BC highlighting Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 10 1.1%
Kootenay Not available Not available
Mainland/Southwest 220 -0.2%
North Coast and Nechako Not available Not available
Northeast 0 -1.4%
Thompson-Okanagan 20 0.6%
Vancouver Island/Coast 40 0.4%
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2023-2033)
Manufacturing210
Wholesale Trade20
Repair, Personal And Non-Profit Services20
Retail Trade10
Public Administration10
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Resources

Resource information is currently not available.