What You Need to Know About Sheet Metal Workers
Occupation Description Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: Setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; or inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces. Includes sheet metal duct installers who install prefabricated sheet metal ducts used for heating, air conditioning, or other purposes.
A Day in the Life of a Sheet Metal Worker
- Maneuver completed roofing units into position for installation.
- Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems.
- Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation.
- Secure metal roof panels in place by interlocking and fastening grooved panel edges.
- Perform building commissioning activities by completing mechanical inspections of a building’s water, lighting, or heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
- Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers.
Sheet Metal Worker Required Skills
These are the skills Sheet Metal Workers say are the most useful in their careers:
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Types of Sheet Metal Worker Jobs
- Sheet Metal Layout Mechanic
- Sheet Metal Journeyman
- Hood Technician
- Shop Assistant
- Metal Worker
Sheet Metal Worker Job Outlook
In the United States, there were 138,900 jobs for Sheet Metal Workers in 2016.
New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.7% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 12,000 new jobs for Sheet Metal Workers by 2026. The BLS estimates 16,200 yearly job openings in this field per year.
The states with the most job growth for Sheet Metal Workers are Texas, Florida, and California.
Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Vermont, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Sheet Metal Worker Average Salary
The salary for Sheet Metal Workers ranges between about $27,780 and $86,290 a year. The median salary is $48,460.
How much do Sheet Metal Workers make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
|
Hawaii |
$76,900 |
|
New York |
$70,070 |
|
Illinois |
$69,780 |
|
Minnesota |
$68,870 |
|
Washington |
$65,360 |
|
Massachusetts |
$65,180 |
|
Missouri |
$61,840 |
|
New Jersey |
$61,790 |
|
Alaska |
$61,030 |
|
District of Columbia |
$60,540 |
|
Rhode Island |
$57,580 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$57,540 |
|
Oregon |
$57,450 |
|
West Virginia |
$56,950 |
|
Wisconsin |
$56,480 |
|
California |
$56,310 |
|
Maryland |
$56,280 |
|
Connecticut |
$55,670 |
|
Indiana |
$55,290 |
|
Delaware |
$54,620 |
|
Utah |
$53,880 |
|
Montana |
$53,350 |
|
Ohio |
$53,320 |
|
Michigan |
$52,180 |
|
North Dakota |
$51,240 |
|
Oklahoma |
$49,900 |
|
Nevada |
$49,750 |
|
New Hampshire |
$49,690 |
|
Nebraska |
$48,970 |
|
Iowa |
$47,750 |
|
Virginia |
$47,440 |
|
New Mexico |
$47,360 |
|
Colorado |
$47,090 |
|
Vermont |
$47,040 |
|
Georgia |
$46,550 |
|
Maine |
$45,430 |
|
Tennessee |
$44,910 |
|
Louisiana |
$44,860 |
|
Kansas |
$43,600 |
|
Wyoming |
$43,040 |
|
South Dakota |
$42,720 |
|
Idaho |
$42,700 |
|
Kentucky |
$41,790 |
|
Arizona |
$41,790 |
|
Texas |
$40,860 |
|
South Carolina |
$40,280 |
|
Mississippi |
$40,180 |
|
Florida |
$40,100 |
|
Alabama |
$38,970 |
|
North Carolina |
$37,980 |
|
Arkansas |
$37,540 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Sheet Metal Workers
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Sheet Metal Workers may use on a daily basis:
- Revcad Software Sheet Lightning
- XY Soft Sheet Cutting Suite
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Microsoft Office
- QuickPen DuctDesigner 3D
- Data entry software
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Corte Certo
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Excel
How to Become a Sheet Metal Worker
Education needed to be a Sheet Metal Worker:
How Long Does it Take to Become Sheet Metal Worker?
Where Sheet Metal Workers Are Employed
Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Sheet Metal Worker may also be interested in:
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
- Construction Carpenters
- Tapers
Are you already one of the many Sheet Metal Workers in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
- Millwrights
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
References
Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons
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