How to become a 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.

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

What sheet metal workers do

• Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.
• Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills.
• Determine project requirements, such as scope, assembly sequences, or required methods or materials, using blueprints, drawings, or written or verbal instructions.
• Select gauges or types of sheet metal or nonmetallic material, according to product specifications.
• Shape metal material over anvils, blocks, or other forms, using hand tools.
• Trim, file, grind, deburr, buff, or smooth surfaces, seams, or joints of assembled parts, using hand tools or portable power tools.

Skills that matter most

• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Mathematics
• Active Learning
• Learning Strategies

Is sheet metal worker a good career?

On the numbers, this job pays above the typical job. Median pay is 21% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• Washington $98,550
• Hawaii $96,350
• Alaska $94,600
• New Jersey $92,840
• Illinois $86,630

Sheet Metal Workers salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.