Sheet Metal Workers
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.
Also called: AC Sheet Metal Installer (Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Installer), Air Duct Mechanic, Aircraft Metalsmith, Aircraft Sheet Metal Mechanic, Angle Bender, Aviation Metalsmith
Median pay
$61,800
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$38,630 – $105,650
People employed
119,770
Holland code
RCI
Realistic · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK being on your feet and moving most of the day?
- 2.Are you comfortable following clear instructions?
- 3.Are you happy working mostly on your own, with little contact with others?
- 4.Are you OK with physical risk, such as hazardous equipment or conditions, with proper training?
- 5.Are you OK with hours that change?
The hard parts
- Long hours on your feet
- Tight deadlines are common
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Sheet Metal Workers pay by state
Annual median pay by state (50 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What sheet metal workers do
- 01Inspect individual parts, assemblies, or installations, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, scales, or micrometers.
- 02Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.
- 03Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems.
- 04Fasten 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.
- 05Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation.
- 06Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks.
Skills that matter most
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Mathematics
Knowledge
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Design
- English Language
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from sheet metal workers
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers81% · +6%
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic81% · +3%
- Riggers76% · +1%
- Rail Car Repairers75% · +9%
- Millwrights74% · +6%
Change into sheet metal workers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic81% · $63,870
- Mechanical Door Repairers81% · $55,720
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers78% · $65,380
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters78% · $51,330
- Riggers76% · $62,640
Majors that lead here
- Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.