Sheet Metal Workers
Also called: HVAC Sheet Metal Installer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Installer), Sheet Metal Fabricator, Sheet Metal Mechanic, Sheet Metal WorkerFabricate, 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 1 of its 19 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 2.5% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 12.8 hires for every 10 job openings in construction, which employs about 65% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.12.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,530 | $42,290 to $58,670 | 1,450 |
| Alaska | $94,600 | $57,690 to $103,520 | 240 |
| Arizona | $50,260 | $37,840 to $68,940 | 3,060 |
| Arkansas | $45,820 | $38,440 to $48,260 | 1,230 |
| California | $76,590 | $59,220 to $107,360 | 8,390 |
| Colorado | $57,880 | $47,010 to $70,400 | 1,660 |
| Connecticut | $78,750 | $57,860 to $92,620 | 1,480 |
| Delaware | $61,460 | $43,270 to $80,390 | 440 |
| Florida | $49,640 | $40,790 to $60,050 | 8,040 |
| Georgia | $56,800 | $46,240 to $70,640 | 3,590 |
| Guam | $37,770 | $37,740 to $40,530 | 140 |
| Hawaii | $96,350 | $77,790 to $105,460 | 490 |
| Idaho | $46,350 | $37,620 to $75,380 | 1,290 |
| Illinois | $86,630 | $59,400 to $105,330 | 3,260 |
| Indiana | $64,040 | $48,820 to $91,130 | 4,580 |
| Iowa | $66,460 | $49,470 to $76,080 | 1,650 |
| Kansas | $62,670 | $43,370 to $86,680 | 1,730 |
| Kentucky | $60,680 | $48,350 to $82,550 | 2,210 |
| Louisiana | $50,320 | $37,150 to $61,250 | 1,080 |
| Maine | $62,120 | $54,180 to $66,070 | 830 |
| Maryland | $62,560 | $51,110 to $75,310 | 1,940 |
| Massachusetts | $82,100 | $52,760 to $92,630 | 2,890 |
| Michigan | $64,490 | $48,680 to $86,690 | 4,000 |
| Minnesota | $72,970 | $51,570 to $106,870 | 2,980 |
| Mississippi | $49,500 | $39,070 to $62,650 | 1,260 |
| Missouri | $63,560 | $47,500 to $98,090 | 2,640 |
| Montana | $61,420 | $51,540 to $78,970 | 410 |
| Nebraska | $64,440 | $46,030 to $88,310 | 440 |
| Nevada | $46,730 | $39,150 to $83,340 | 1,270 |
| New Hampshire | $59,800 | $46,300 to $70,840 | 760 |
| New Jersey | $92,840 | $58,390 to $119,870 | 2,790 |
| New Mexico | $56,720 | $41,600 to $79,140 | 640 |
| New York | $73,760 | $49,920 to $96,120 | 6,570 |
| North Carolina | $50,730 | $45,500 to $61,490 | 2,780 |
| North Dakota | $65,180 | $48,900 to $80,940 | 290 |
| Ohio | $74,790 | $49,680 to $82,750 | 4,180 |
| Oklahoma | $65,640 | $55,000 to $70,640 | 2,820 |
| Oregon | $73,750 | $58,410 to $108,920 | 3,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,400 | $50,650 to $87,610 | 3,260 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,340 | $23,950 to $29,510 | 210 |
| Rhode Island | $65,100 | $52,080 to $81,980 | 370 |
| South Carolina | $49,920 | $38,450 to $63,550 | 1,710 |
| South Dakota | $47,800 | $42,580 to $60,330 | 320 |
| Tennessee | $59,170 | $45,230 to $73,640 | 1,850 |
| Texas | $54,240 | $44,950 to $63,450 | 9,540 |
| Utah | $63,140 | $49,510 to $76,300 | 1,810 |
| Vermont | $58,250 | $48,630 to $66,610 | 370 |
| Virginia | $52,220 | $44,620 to $63,390 | 4,520 |
| Washington | $98,550 | $72,220 to $134,590 | 3,440 |
| West Virginia | $72,390 | $46,910 to $74,410 | 540 |
| Wisconsin | $77,760 | $50,350 to $97,320 | 3,180 |
| Wyoming | $58,740 | $52,640 to $71,750 | 160 |
Nationally: $61,800. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 1 of its 19 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Determine project requirements, such as scope, assembly sequences, or required methods or materials, using blueprints, drawings, or written or verbal instructions. | Not published |
| Not much | Hire, train, or supervise new employees or apprentices. | Not published |
| Not much | Select gauges or types of sheet metal or nonmetallic material, according to product specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems. | Not published |
See all 19 tasks
| Not much | Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers. | Not published |
| Not much | Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks. | Not published |
| Not much | Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation. | Not published |
| Not much | Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills. | Not published |
| Not much | Maneuver completed roofing units into position for installation. | Not published |
| Not much | Trim, file, grind, deburr, buff, or smooth surfaces, seams, or joints of assembled parts, using hand tools or portable power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Shape metal material over anvils, blocks, or other forms, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Verify that heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed, installed, and calibrated in accordance with green certification standards, such as those of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). | Not published |
| AI + software | Convert blueprints into shop drawings to be followed in the construction or assembly of sheet metal products. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform building commissioning activities by completing mechanical inspections of a building's water, lighting, or heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Finish parts, using hacksaws or hand, rotary, or squaring shears. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect individual parts, assemblies, or installations, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, scales, or micrometers. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| Not much | Fasten roof panel edges or machine-made moldings to structures by nailing or welding. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 19 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 19 tasks fall under 18 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #14 Create visual designs or displays
- #38 Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabricate devices or components | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Join parts using soldering, welding, or brazing techniques | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment |
Show all 18 activities
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Install plumbing or piping equipment or systems | |||
| Direct construction or extraction activities |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for sheet metal workers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 9,017 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
- 3 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Low +5.4% 5%
- 4 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Low +2.4% 4%
- 5 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 8,794 moves in
- 1 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Low +5.4% 6%
- 2 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Low +2.4% 4%
- 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers Moderate -5.6% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 7% less than high school
- 49% high school
- 44% postsecondary certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 17 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 13% less than high school
- 48% high school
- 23% some college
- 10% associate's
- 6% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,390 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
41.6% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 3 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (SHEET METAL MECHANIC (Existing Title: Sheet Metal Worker); SHEET METAL WORKER; SHEET METAL WORKER & TINSMITH (Existing Title: Sheet Metal Worker)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Sheet Metal Workers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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