Sheet Metal Workers build coordination, judgment and decision making and time management skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (81%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 81% | $65,380 | +6% | None |
| 2 | Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic | 81% | $63,870 | +3% | None |
| 3 | Riggers | 76% | $62,640 | +1% | None |
| 4 | Rail Car Repairers | 75% | $67,530 | +9% | None |
| 5 | Millwrights | 74% | $65,700 | +6% | None |
| 6 | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | 74% | $95,320 | +54% | None |
| 7 | Mechanical Door Repairers | 74% | $55,720 | −10% | None |
| 8 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 74% | $51,330 | −17% | None |
| 9 | Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons | 73% | $61,290 | −1% | None |
| 10 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | 72% | $57,430 | −7% | None |
Compared with Sheet Metal Workers, median $61,800. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as sheet metal workers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
81% skill match · $65,380 · +6% pay
Quality Control Analysis · Systems Evaluation · Systems Analysis
81% skill match · $63,870 · +3% pay
Quality Control Analysis · Social Perceptiveness
76% skill match · $62,640 · +1% pay
Operation and Control · Equipment Selection · Social Perceptiveness
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (81% skill match, median $65,380), Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic (81% skill match, median $63,870) and Riggers (76% skill match, median $62,640), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 13 pay more than sheet metal workers at the median. The biggest increases: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (+54%, $95,320), Roof Bolters, Mining (+27%, $78,540) and Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers (+20%, $74,330).
21 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.