All About Sheet Metal Workers
Sheet Metal Worker Job 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.
List of Sheet Metal Worker Job Duties
- Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers.
- Perform sheet metal work necessary for solar panel installations.
- Fasten roof panel edges or machine-made moldings to structures by nailing or welding.
- Trim, file, grind, deburr, buff, or smooth surfaces, seams, or joints of assembled parts, using hand tools or portable power tools.
- Maneuver completed roofing units into position for installation.
- Shape metal material over anvils, blocks, or other forms, using hand tools.
Featured schools near , edit
Sheet Metal Worker Needed Skills
When polled, Sheet Metal Workers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
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.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Other Sheet Metal Worker Job Titles
- Template Layout Worker
- Sheet Metal Apprentice
- Air Conditioning Installer
- Sheet Metal Technician
- Gutter Installer
Sheet Metal Worker Employment Estimates
There were about 138,900 jobs for Sheet Metal Worker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 12,000 new jobs for Sheet Metal Worker by 2026. The BLS estimates 16,200 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Sheet Metal Worker are Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Vermont, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Sheet Metal Worker Make?
The average yearly salary of a Sheet Metal Worker ranges between $27,780 and $86,290.

Sheet Metal Workers who work in Hawaii, Illinois, or Minnesota, make the highest salaries.
How much do Sheet Metal Workers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $38,970 |
Alaska | $61,030 |
Arizona | $41,790 |
Arkansas | $37,540 |
California | $56,310 |
Colorado | $47,090 |
Connecticut | $55,670 |
Delaware | $54,620 |
District of Columbia | $60,540 |
Florida | $40,100 |
Georgia | $46,550 |
Hawaii | $76,900 |
Idaho | $42,700 |
Illinois | $69,780 |
Indiana | $55,290 |
Iowa | $47,750 |
Kansas | $43,600 |
Kentucky | $41,790 |
Louisiana | $44,860 |
Maine | $45,430 |
Maryland | $56,280 |
Massachusetts | $65,180 |
Michigan | $52,180 |
Minnesota | $68,870 |
Mississippi | $40,180 |
Missouri | $61,840 |
Montana | $53,350 |
Nebraska | $48,970 |
Nevada | $49,750 |
New Hampshire | $49,690 |
New Jersey | $61,790 |
New Mexico | $47,360 |
New York | $70,070 |
North Carolina | $37,980 |
North Dakota | $51,240 |
Ohio | $53,320 |
Oklahoma | $49,900 |
Oregon | $57,450 |
Pennsylvania | $57,540 |
Rhode Island | $57,580 |
South Carolina | $40,280 |
South Dakota | $42,720 |
Tennessee | $44,910 |
Texas | $40,860 |
Utah | $53,880 |
Vermont | $47,040 |
Virginia | $47,440 |
Washington | $65,360 |
West Virginia | $56,950 |
Wisconsin | $56,480 |
Wyoming | $43,040 |
What Tools do Sheet Metal Workers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Sheet Metal Workers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Data entry software
- Microsoft Windows
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Spreadsheet software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- PTC Creo Parametric
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
How do I Become a Sheet Metal Worker?
Learn what Sheet Metal Worker education requirements there are.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Sheet Metal Worker?

Who Employs Sheet Metal Workers?

Below are examples of industries where Sheet Metal Workers work:

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those thinking about becoming a Sheet Metal Worker might also be interested in the following careers:
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Construction Carpenters
- Tapers
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
Are you already one of the many Sheet Metal Worker in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers
- Millwrights
- Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
References:
Image Credit: US Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |