Sheet Metal Workers
What Sheet Metal Workers Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Self-employed
- 6.5%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 4.2/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.8/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.8/5
- Designimportance 3.6/5
- English Languageimportance 3.4/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.1/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.1/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Spend Time Standing4.8/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.6/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.4/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.3/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Commercial Divers93% skill match
- Riggers92% skill match
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers91% skill match
- Rail Car Repairers91% skill match
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment90% skill match
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers90% skill match
- Boilermakers90% skill match
- Crane and Tower Operators90% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Instructingimportance 2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.9/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Applied Production ProFab
- Applied Production ProFold
- Corte Certo
- FCC Software AutoPOL Series
- JETCAM Expert
- Merry Mechanization SMP/IS
- PTC Creo Parametric
- QuickPen DuctDesigner 3D
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where sheet metal workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Warner Robins, GA13.59× national avg
- 2Elmira, NY7.01× national avg
- 3Elkhart-Goshen, IN6.57× national avg
- 4Jefferson City, MO5.08× national avg
- 5Appleton, WI4.21× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems AssemblersCareer Change
- Solar Photovoltaic InstallersLateral Move
- BoilermakersLateral Move
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist
- Tulsa Welding School-Houston (Houston, TX)grads earn ~$47,367
- Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL)grads earn ~$47,367
- Ivy Tech Community College (Indianapolis, IN)grads earn ~$53,579
- Front Range Community College (Westminster, CO)grads earn ~$52,873
- Tulsa Welding School-Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)grads earn ~$47,367