Sheet metal worker
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. Federal job definition
How people get into it
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists apprenticeship as the typical training for this job.
Sheet metal workers learn their trade through an apprenticeship or on-the-job training, or at a technical school.
Sheet metal workers who work in construction typically learn their trade through an apprenticeship.
Most construction sheet metal workers learn their trade through 4- or 5-year apprenticeships, which include both paid on-the-job training and related technical instruction.
- Typical education to start
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Typical training on the job
- Apprenticeship
Registered apprenticeships are run by employers, unions and industry groups. To find openings near you, search the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship finder, or contact your state's apprenticeship office.
What it pays
Yearly pay for all workers in this job nationally, including experienced ones. Apprentices usually start lower and get raises as they advance.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025Median pay by state (50 states)
| State | Median pay | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,530 | 1,450 |
| Alaska | $94,600 | 240 |
| Arizona | $50,260 | 3,060 |
| Arkansas | $45,820 | 1,230 |
| California | $76,590 | 8,390 |
| Colorado | $57,880 | 1,660 |
| Connecticut | $78,750 | 1,480 |
| Delaware | $61,460 | 440 |
| Florida | $49,640 | 8,040 |
| Georgia | $56,800 | 3,590 |
| Hawaii | $96,350 | 490 |
| Idaho | $46,350 | 1,290 |
| Illinois | $86,630 | 3,260 |
| Indiana | $64,040 | 4,580 |
| Iowa | $66,460 | 1,650 |
| Kansas | $62,670 | 1,730 |
| Kentucky | $60,680 | 2,210 |
| Louisiana | $50,320 | 1,080 |
| Maine | $62,120 | 830 |
| Maryland | $62,560 | 1,940 |
| Massachusetts | $82,100 | 2,890 |
| Michigan | $64,490 | 4,000 |
| Minnesota | $72,970 | 2,980 |
| Mississippi | $49,500 | 1,260 |
| Missouri | $63,560 | 2,640 |
| Montana | $61,420 | 410 |
| Nebraska | $64,440 | 440 |
| Nevada | $46,730 | 1,270 |
| New Hampshire | $59,800 | 760 |
| New Jersey | $92,840 | 2,790 |
| New Mexico | $56,720 | 640 |
| New York | $73,760 | 6,570 |
| North Carolina | $50,730 | 2,780 |
| North Dakota | $65,180 | 290 |
| Ohio | $74,790 | 4,180 |
| Oklahoma | $65,640 | 2,820 |
| Oregon | $73,750 | 3,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,400 | 3,260 |
| Rhode Island | $65,100 | 370 |
| South Carolina | $49,920 | 1,710 |
| South Dakota | $47,800 | 320 |
| Tennessee | $59,170 | 1,850 |
| Texas | $54,240 | 9,540 |
| Utah | $63,140 | 1,810 |
| Vermont | $58,250 | 370 |
| Virginia | $52,220 | 4,520 |
| Washington | $98,550 | 3,440 |
| West Virginia | $72,390 | 540 |
| Wisconsin | $77,760 | 3,180 |
| Wyoming | $58,740 | 160 |
Job outlook
- People in this job
- 131,100
- Openings each year
- 9,800projected average, 2025–35, including people retiring or changing jobs
- Change in jobs
- +2.5%expected to grow 2.5%, 2025–35
Where these numbers come from
Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' wage survey (May 2025). Jobs, openings, growth, education and training come from BLS Employment Projections (2025–35). The description of the job is the federal Standard Occupational Classification definition, and the quote is from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. For how many apprentices there are in each state, see the Department of Labor's apprentices by state dashboard. Updated November 5, 2026.