Sheet Metal Workers Salary: $89,073 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 117,470 sheet metal workers nationally earn a mean of $89,073. Employment in the series shown fell about 11% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.3% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Sheet Metal Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about sheet metal workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a sheet metal workers?
Sheet Metal Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2211.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 117,470 workers.
What does a sheet metal workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a sheet metal workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $60,850 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $89,073 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,176 |
| 25th percentile | $61,486 |
| Median (50th) | $81,971 |
| 75th percentile | $110,804 |
| 90th percentile | $136,106 |
What education do you need?
For Sheet Metal Workers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Coordination, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Mathematics, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Building and Construction, Mathematics, Design. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is sheet metal workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.3% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -15.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -28.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 117,470.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do sheet metal workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 117,470 | 18.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 111,170 | 17.1% |
| Construction | 72,710 | 11.2% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 68,300 | 10.5% |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 50,370 | 7.7% |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 48,420 | 7.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Sheet Metal Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Machinists | 298,790 | $56,150 |
| Tool and Die Makers | 55,130 | $63,180 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 424,040 | $51,000 |
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | 3,230 | $62,700 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 53,380 | $49,900 |
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 14,590 | $47,450 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Sheet Metal Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
117,470 Workforce in 2023
The Sheet Metal Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Sheet Metal Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$89,073 Average Wage
In 2023, Sheet Metal Workers earned an average of $89,073.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Sheet Metal Workers.
Salary distribution for Sheet Metal Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
-3.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
30,558 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -15.4%
25,838 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -28.5%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Sheet Metal Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Sheet Metal Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Sheet Metal Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Sheet Metal Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
2.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Sheet Metal Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Sheet Metal Workers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 8,810 employees, $89,471 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Sheet Metal Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,620 employees, $83,824 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,550 employees, $81,194 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,230 employees, $88,686 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 860 employees, $117,783 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 750 employees, $80,231 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 660 employees, $101,407 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 590 employees, $85,522 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 330 employees, $114,335 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 240 employees, $83,124 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 140 employees, $83,731 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Sheet Metal Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Sheet Metal Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Sheet Metal Workers in 2023 was 117,470 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Sheet Metal Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Sheet Metal Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Sheet Metal Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Sheet Metal Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Sheet Metal Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Sheet Metal Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Sheet Metal Workers.
Skills
Sheet Metal Workers need many skills, but most especially Coordination, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Mathematics.
Required skills for Sheet Metal Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Sheet Metal Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Sheet Metal Workers include Mechanical, Building and Construction, Mathematics, Design, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Sheet Metal Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Sheet Metal Workers include Near Vision, Visualization, Manual Dexterity, Multilimb Coordination, Arm-Hand Steadiness.
Required abilities for Sheet Metal Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Sheet Metal Workers.
Daily Activities
Sheet Metal Workers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with People Outside the Organization.
Most important work activities for Sheet Metal Workers.
About
Sheet Metal Workers
The average yearly wage for Sheet Metal Workers was $89,073 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-2211 - Sheet Metal Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Sheet Metal Workers reports an average salary of $89,073.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 117,470 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.