Construction and extraction
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.
Median pay
$61,800
Growth to 2035
+3%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
9,800
Time to qualify*
4 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Sheet metal worker
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Sheet metal worker: 28% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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: Commercial Sheet Metal Service Installer · Field Installer · HVAC Sheet Metal Installer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Installer) · HVAC Sheet Metal Specialist (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Specialist) · Sheet Metal Fabricator · Sheet Metal Installer · Sheet Metal Journeyman · Sheet Metal Layout Mechanic
Outlook and AI
Sheet metal workers held 131,100 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 134,400 by 2035 (+3%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Sheet metal worker vs. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Sheet metal worker vs. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Sheet metal worker vs. Structural iron and steel workers
- Sheet metal worker vs. Layout workers, metal and plastic
- Sheet metal worker vs. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Sheet metal worker vs. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall
- Sheet metal worker vs. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Sheet metal worker vs. Tool and die makers
- Sheet metal worker vs. Carpenter
- Sheet metal worker vs. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders