Sheet Metal Workers: Career Profile
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.
Featured schools near , edit
What Do Sheet Metal Workers Take On?
Typical responsibilities of sheet metal workers cover:
- Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.
- Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems.
- Fasten seams or joints together with welds, bolts, cement, rivets, solder, caulks, metal drive clips, or bonds to assemble components into products or to repair sheet metal items.
- Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation.
- Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks.
- Hire, train, or supervise new employees or apprentices.
- Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers.
- Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills.
What Sheet Metal Workers Need to Know
Top sheet metal workers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Sheet Metal Workers Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- AC Sheet Metal Installer (Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Installer)
- Air Duct Mechanic
- Aircraft Metalsmith
- Aircraft Sheet Metal Mechanic
- Angle Bender
- Aviation Metalsmith
- Beam Worker
- Ceiling Installer
Job Outlook
There are about 308,016 sheet metal workers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +6.8% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Sheet Metal Workers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $62,339 |
| Hourly median | $29.97 |
| 10th percentile | $36,280 |
| 25th percentile | $49,310 |
| 75th percentile | $75,369 |
| 90th percentile | $88,399 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Sheet Metal Workers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $94,310 |
| Illinois | $93,570 |
| Washington | $93,230 |
| Hawaii | $91,540 |
| Alaska | $82,750 |
| California | $79,630 |
| Massachusetts | $79,260 |
| North Dakota | $78,910 |
| District of Columbia | $76,450 |
| Wisconsin | $75,970 |
| New York | $73,470 |
| West Virginia | $71,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $69,240 |
| Missouri | $66,340 |
| Idaho | $65,680 |
| Oregon | $65,190 |
| Oklahoma | $64,420 |
| Delaware | $63,850 |
| Ohio | $62,940 |
| Minnesota | $62,550 |
| Connecticut | $62,360 |
| Montana | $61,940 |
| Michigan | $61,680 |
| Maryland | $61,630 |
| Iowa | $61,620 |
| Utah | $60,490 |
| Maine | $60,320 |
| Indiana | $59,600 |
| New Mexico | $59,220 |
| Nebraska | $58,560 |
| Virginia | $58,490 |
| Colorado | $57,870 |
| Rhode Island | $56,950 |
| Vermont | $56,890 |
| Texas | $55,840 |
| Louisiana | $54,870 |
| Georgia | $53,960 |
| Tennessee | $53,680 |
| New Hampshire | $53,380 |
| North Carolina | $52,370 |
| Arizona | $51,440 |
| Wyoming | $51,240 |
| Kansas | $50,920 |
| South Dakota | $49,780 |
| Florida | $49,170 |
| Kentucky | $49,100 |
| Mississippi | $49,020 |
| Nevada | $47,590 |
| Alabama | $46,100 |
| South Carolina | $46,080 |
| Arkansas | $42,640 |
| Guam | $37,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,950 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for sheet metal workers differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $78,504 | 15.2% | 1.08 |
| Middle Atlantic | $73,204 | 11.0% | 0.78 |
| Great Lakes | $70,226 | 17.8% | 1.27 |
| Plains States | $61,734 | 9.1% | 1.38 |
| Rocky Mountains | $60,035 | 4.1% | 1.09 |
| New England | $58,685 | 3.1% | 1.40 |
| Southwest | $56,570 | 14.2% | 1.20 |
| Southeast | $51,632 | 25.2% | 1.06 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $115,970 | 860 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $103,350 | 250 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $102,680 | 2,340 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $100,950 | 30 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $99,110 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $98,140 | 1,020 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $97,970 | 3,080 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | WA | $95,890 | 170 |
Top Industries Employing Sheet Metal Workers
The largest employers of sheet metal workers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 72,710 | $62,250 |
| Manufacturing | 30,390 | $50,830 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 3,550 | $44,910 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 2,400 | $80,820 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,100 | $39,880 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 430 | $56,580 |
| Educational Services | 320 | $84,230 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 210 | $61,240 |
Below are examples of industries where sheet metal workers work:
Tech Stack
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for sheet metal workers reflects the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Exposed to Contaminants
How to Become Sheet Metal Workers
Most sheet metal workers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Boilermakers (Supplemental)
- Carpenters (Primary-Long)
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers (Primary-Short)
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (Primary-Long)
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical (Primary-Long)
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (Supplemental)
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers (Supplemental)
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Students preparing for sheet metal workers commonly pursue programs in:
Precision Production
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-2211.00 (Sheet Metal Workers).
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.