How to become a Metal and Plastic Layout Worker

Official title: Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

Also called: Development Mechanic, Layout Fabricator, Layout Fitter, Layout Inspector, Layout Man, Layout Mechanic, Layout Technician (Layout Tech), Layout Worker

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.

Main tasks

• Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills.
• Plan locations and sequences of cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and welding operations, using compasses, protractors, dividers, and rules.
• Fit and align fabricated parts to be welded or assembled.
• 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Lay-Out Worker I (Any Ind).
• Apprenticeship: Shipfitter (Ship & Boat).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $63,870 a year The middle half earn $50,910 to $79,470.
• About 6,200 people work in this job now, and about 5,900 are projected by 2035. (-3.4%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Metal and Plastic Layout Worker?

Ways in include: Lay-Out Worker I (Any Ind).

How much does a Metal and Plastic Layout Worker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $63,870 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $50,910 to $79,470.

Is a Metal and Plastic Layout Worker a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 6,200 to about 5,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Metal and Plastic Layout Worker?

Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Lay-Out Worker I (Any Ind).

Will AI change the work of a Metal and Plastic Layout Worker?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.