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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.
Other titles employers use
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
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Coordination
- Active Listening
- Speaking
Subjects to know
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Design
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Visualization
- Near Vision
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Manual Dexterity
- Multilimb Coordination
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.4 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 4.8 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.1 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 4.6 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 56%
- A certificate or some college 44%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Operating system software
- Word processing software
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 11,000
- Job openings each year
- 1,030
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 4.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 11,000 | 1,030 | 4.8% |
| Texas | 9,700 | 920 | 8.4% |
| Florida | 9,370 | 910 | 12.4% |
| New York | 6,750 | 0 | −2.3% |
| Georgia | 5,100 | 490 | 10.6% |
| Illinois | 4,720 | 430 | — |
| Washington | 4,460 | 440 | 5.2% |
| Indiana | 4,430 | 410 | 4.0% |
| Ohio | 4,310 | 390 | −1.4% |
| New Jersey | 4,180 | 390 | 3.0% |
| Michigan | 4,130 | 370 | −1.9% |
| Oregon | 4,090 | 400 | 12.4% |
| Missouri | 4,080 | 380 | 2.3% |
| Virginia | 3,900 | 370 | 8.6% |
| North Carolina | 3,250 | 300 | 5.9% |
| Oklahoma | 3,110 | 280 | — |
| Arizona | 3,070 | 300 | 13.7% |
| Minnesota | 2,730 | 260 | 5.0% |
| Alabama | 2,540 | 240 | 5.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,540 | 230 | — |
| Wisconsin | 2,460 | 230 | 6.0% |
| Colorado | 2,440 | 230 | 8.4% |
| Tennessee | 2,440 | 220 | — |
| Utah | 2,130 | 210 | 23.1% |
| Maryland | 1,970 | 180 | 3.1% |
| Connecticut | 1,940 | 180 | 5.4% |
| Iowa | 1,670 | 160 | 6.4% |
| Kansas | 1,670 | 160 | 6.4% |
| Mississippi | 1,620 | 160 | 13.3% |
| South Carolina | 1,200 | 110 | — |
| Louisiana | 1,180 | 110 | 9.3% |
| Nevada | 1,070 | 100 | 7.0% |
| Kentucky | 980 | 90 | — |
| Arkansas | 940 | 90 | 5.6% |
| Maine | 900 | 80 | −4.3% |
| New Hampshire | 840 | 80 | 6.3% |
| Nebraska | 800 | 70 | 5.3% |
| New Mexico | 750 | 70 | 8.7% |
| Delaware | 680 | 60 | 3.0% |
| Rhode Island | 610 | 60 | 15.1% |
| West Virginia | 560 | 50 | 3.7% |
| North Dakota | 480 | 50 | 4.3% |
| Massachusetts | 450 | 40 | 2.3% |
| Idaho | 380 | 40 | 18.8% |
| South Dakota | 360 | 30 | 9.1% |
| Alaska | 350 | 30 | 9.4% |
| Wyoming | 350 | 30 | 16.7% |
| Montana | 330 | 30 | 17.9% |
| Puerto Rico | 270 | 30 | 3.8% |
| Vermont | 230 | 20 | — |
| District of Columbia | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
Career to college
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Where to study
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