Sheet metal worker
Sheet metal workers fabricate or install products that are made from thin metal sheets.
What the job is
- The work
- Sheet metal workers fabricate or install products that are made from thin metal sheets.
BLS
Sheet Metal Workers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- How people get in
- Sheet metal workers in construction typically learn through a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship; those in manufacturing learn on the job or at a technical school. Some states require a license.
- Good fit for
- Students who like math, precise cutting and bending, and building ductwork and metal products.
- Career cluster
- Construction
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
-
StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
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- CaliforniaState guide
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- District of ColumbiaState guide
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- IndianaState guide
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- LouisianaState guide
- MaineState guide
- MarylandState guide
- MassachusettsState guide
- MichiganState guide
- MinnesotaState guide
- MississippiState guide
- MissouriState guide
- MontanaState guide
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- NevadaState guide
- New HampshireState guide
- New JerseyState guide
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- North CarolinaState guide
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- OhioState guide
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- Rhode IslandState guide
- South CarolinaState guide
- South DakotaState guide
- TennesseeState guide
- TexasState guide
- UtahState guide
- VermontState guide
- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025.
- Median pay
- $61,800 a year ($29.71 an hour)
BLS
Sheet Metal Workers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 131,100
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Training after hire
- Apprenticeship
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +3%, which BLS calls "as fast as average"
BLS
Sheet Metal Workers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +3,300 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
Tools overview
BLS does not publish what a starter tool set costs. Ask the school or apprenticeship sponsor which tools you must buy before you enrol.
- Sheet metal workers use saws, lasers, shears and presses, and must lift and move heavy ductwork (some jobs 50 pounds or more).
BLS
Sheet Metal Workers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes, step by step, the national certifications and the state licensing rules are on one page.
Sheet metal worker: 4- or 5-year apprenticeship, license in some states
See the roadmap
Route 1: Registered Apprenticeship (construction) · Route 2: Technical school or on the job (manufacturing)
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 21 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses. All trades