Shipfitter Jobs in Tampa, FL
Lay out, cut, fit, and align steel plate and structure for the welders.
What shipfitters earn around Tampa
The median, range, and annual figures above are market data — Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics for Florida, via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop. Cost of living here runs right around the national average. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities.
Shipfitters in the Tampa market
Tampa sits on Port Tampa Bay, one of the largest ports in Florida, with a working ship-repair cluster along the channel — dry docks and topside repair yards that keep the commercial and government fleet running. It's a Gulf ship-repair market AMS is hiring welders and fitters for right now.
The shipfitter's job around Tampa is blueprint layout, cutting & fit-up, bracing & tacking — the layout that has to be right before a welder ever strikes an arc on work staged through yards like Tampa Ship. Get the fit wrong and the weld cannot save it.
- Tampa Ship
- International Ship Repair & Marine Services
Named as public-record market activity — where marine work happens in this area, not a statement of AMS contracts.
- City population
- 393,389
- Median household income
- $71,302
- Average commute
- 25 min
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 99.856
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-year · BEA Regional Price Parities. Figures are for Tampa city, Florida, not the wider metro area.
What a shipfitter does in Tampa
Shipfitters turn plans into steel — reading blueprints, laying out and cutting plate and structural members, then fitting, bracing, and tacking them into alignment so the welders can finish the joint. It's the layout and fit-up craft at the front of every structural job, on new construction and repair alike, and it demands a sharp eye for tolerance and a feel for how a hull goes together.
Why Tampa needs shipfitters right now
Before any new steel gets welded into a hull, a shipfitter has to make it fit — and repair fitting is its own discipline. You're not assembling flat panels in a clean shop; you're templating an insert off a cropped-out hole in a ship's side, cutting plate to match, then fairing and bracing it into alignment inside existing structure. Tampa's drydock and topside repair work runs on that skill, and conversion projects lean on it harder: new foundations, new houses, new structure landed where nothing is square anymore.
Florida's median for structural metal fabricators and fitters — the closest statistical trade to shipfitting — is $46,880 a year across all industries (BLS, May 2025), before overtime. AMS hires shipfitters in Tampa at $35–$40 an hour plus overtime opportunities, and Tampa is a hiring market right now. That's a serious step up from shop fabrication pay, for work that asks more of your layout skills. Live local and work the port, or come in from elsewhere — per-diem travel work is common at AMS, and a resume is optional to apply.
If you've laid out and fit a shell insert, faired a repair plate flush to old hull lines, or tacked frame renewals in a double bottom, you already speak the language Tampa repair jobs are hiring for. New-construction fitters used to panel lines and unit erection carry over fast once they've templated off a real ship. Experienced shipfitters are one of the industry's hardest hires — AMS pays $35–$40 an hour for that eye instead of starting you over.
Bring your experience to AMSShipfitter jobs in Tampa — FAQ
How much do shipfitters make in Tampa, FL?
In Florida, shipfitters earn a median of about $27.97 per hour — typically $19.39–$38.59 per hour (BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics via the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop). With local prices at 99.856 against a national 100, that median buys roughly what $28.01 an hour would nationally. AMS pays $35–$40/hr plus overtime opportunities; the rate for a specific role is discussed when you apply.
Does AMS hire shipfitters in Tampa?
AMS recruits shipfitters across the Gulf Coast, including the Tampa market, for marine fabrication and repair work. Apply and tell us your trade, your experience, and whether you can travel.
What do I need to get hired as a shipfitter in Tampa?
For shipfitters, AMS looks first at blueprint layout and cutting & fit-up. Every role also requires passing a shipyard safety orientation and a drug screen, and a TWIC card is usually needed for yard access at Tampa Ship and similar facilities. Bring your certifications — apply and an AMS representative will go over the specifics.
What is the commute like for Tampa yard work?
Workers in Tampa city, Florida report an average commute of about 25 minutes (U.S. Census ACS). Yard start times are early, so most crews plan the drive around shift change rather than rush hour. If you would rather travel to the work than commute to it, AMS runs per-diem assignments across the Gulf Coast.
Ready to work as a shipfitter in Tampa?
Tell us your trade and experience — an AMS representative will follow up. Résumé optional.