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.
National median · BLS
$61,800
▲ +1.56%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$67,850
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
119,770
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Sheet Metal Workers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$38,630
25th
$47,830
Median (50th)
$61,800
75th
$81,610
90th — top pay
$105,650
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Sheet Metal Workers
BLS projects employment of sheet metal workers to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 9,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
131,100 → 134,400
+3,300 jobs
Projected change
+2.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
9,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Apprenticeship
Self-employed
8.4% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Sheet Metal Workers salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Sheet Metal Workers
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Coordination3.1
Critical Thinking3.1
Monitoring3.1
Reading Comprehension3.1
Active Listening3.0
Judgment and Decision Making3.0
Mathematics3.0
Speaking3.0
Time Management3.0
Active Learning2.9
Top knowledge areas
Mechanical4.2
Building and Construction3.8
Mathematics3.8
Design3.6
English Language3.4
Administration and Management3.1
Education and Training3.1
Production and Processing3.1
Software and technology used
Autodesk AutoCADMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordApplied Production ProFabApplied Production ProFoldCorte CertoFCC Software AutoPOL SeriesJETCAM ExpertMerry Mechanization SMP/ISPTC Creo ParametricQuickPen DuctDesigner 3DRevcad Software Sheet LightningSiemens NXStriker Systems SS-ProfileWiCAM PN4000XY Soft Sheet Cutting Suite
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: 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.
About the job
What sheet metal workers do
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.
Also called
HVAC Sheet Metal Installer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Installer)Sheet Metal FabricatorSheet Metal MechanicSheet Metal WorkerCommercial Sheet Metal Service InstallerField InstallerHVAC Sheet Metal Specialist (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Specialist)Sheet Metal InstallerSheet Metal JourneymanSheet Metal Layout Mechanic
More job titles for this occupation (56)
AC Sheet Metal Installer (Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Installer)Air Duct MechanicAircraft MetalsmithAircraft Sheet Metal MechanicAngle BenderAviation MetalsmithBeam WorkerCeiling InstallerChute BuilderCoppersmithCornice MakerCowlmanDeburr Tech (Deburr Technician)Duct InstallerDural MechanicDuralumin MechanicDuralumin MetalworkerExtrusion FormerFabrication Technician (Fabrication Tech)Fairing ManFairing WorkerGeothermal Sheet Metal WorkerGutter HangerGutter InstallerHeating Duct InstallerHood MakerHood Technician (Hood Tech)HVAC Sheet Metal Mechanic (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Mechanic)Journeyman Sheet Metal WorkerLayout WorkerMetal Ceiling BuilderMetal Ceiling HangerMetal FabricatorMetal Technician (Metal Tech)Metal Work Duct InstallerMetal WorkerMetalsmithPress Brake OperatorSheet Metal AssemblerSheet Metal Duct InstallerSheet Metal ErectorSheet Metal FormerSheet Metal Layout WorkerSheet Metal OperatorSheet Metal SmithSheet Metal Technician (Sheet Metal Tech)Sheet Metal Work Furnace InstallerSpouting InstallerTemplate FitterTemplate Layout WorkerTin WorkerTinkerTinnerTinsmithWhitesmithWind Turbine Sheet Metal Worker
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Sheet Metal Workers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $61,800.
