How to become a Sheet Metal Worker

Official title: Sheet Metal Workers

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, Sheet Metal Mechanic, 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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Sheet metal workers employed in construction typically learn their trade through an apprenticeship. Those employed in manufacturing typically learn on the job or at a technical school.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Sheet Metal Mechanic (Existing Title: Sheet Metal Worker). BLS lists an apprenticeship as the typical training for this occupation.
• Licence: A licence is required in 7 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $61,800 a year The middle half earn $47,830 to $81,610.
• About 131,100 people work in this job now, and about 134,400 are projected by 2035. (+2.5%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Carpenters
• Pile Driver Operators
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
• Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
• Tapers
• Boilermakers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Sheet Metal Worker?

Sheet metal workers employed in construction typically learn their trade through an apprenticeship. Those employed in manufacturing typically learn on the job or at a technical school.

How much does a Sheet Metal Worker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $61,800 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,830 to $81,610.

Is a Sheet Metal Worker a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 131,100 to about 134,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Sheet Metal Worker?

Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Sheet Metal Mechanic (Existing Title: Sheet Metal Worker).

Will AI change the work of a Sheet Metal Worker?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.