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.
- O*NET-SOC code
47-2211.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$61,800
Employment, U.S.119,770
Median hourly wage$29.71
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $38,630 | $47,830 | $61,800 | $81,610 | $105,650 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,450 | $47,530 | 0.89 |
| Alaska | 240 | $94,600 | 0.95 |
| Arizona | 3,060 | $50,260 | 1.23 |
| Arkansas | 1,230 | $45,820 | 1.22 |
| California | 8,390 | $76,590 | 0.60 |
| Colorado | 1,660 | $57,880 | 0.75 |
| Connecticut | 1,480 | $78,750 | 1.13 |
| Delaware | 440 | $61,460 | 1.18 |
| Florida | 8,040 | $49,640 | 1.05 |
| Georgia | 3,590 | $56,800 | 0.95 |
| Hawaii | 490 | $96,350 | 1.01 |
| Idaho | 1,290 | $46,350 | 1.95 |
| Illinois | 3,260 | $86,630 | 0.69 |
| Indiana | 4,580 | $64,040 | 1.86 |
| Iowa | 1,650 | $66,460 | 1.37 |
| Kansas | 1,730 | $62,670 | 1.56 |
| Kentucky | 2,210 | $60,680 | 1.44 |
| Louisiana | 1,080 | $50,320 | 0.72 |
| Maine | 830 | $62,120 | 1.68 |
| Maryland | 1,940 | $62,560 | 0.91 |
| Massachusetts | 2,890 | $82,100 | 1.03 |
| Michigan | 4,000 | $64,490 | 1.18 |
| Minnesota | 2,980 | $72,970 | 1.31 |
| Mississippi | 1,260 | $49,500 | 1.41 |
| Missouri | 2,640 | $63,560 | 1.17 |
| Montana | 410 | $61,420 | 1.04 |
| Nebraska | 440 | $64,440 | 0.56 |
| Nevada | 1,270 | $46,730 | 1.06 |
| New Hampshire | 760 | $59,800 | 1.44 |
| New Jersey | 2,790 | $92,840 | 0.84 |
| New Mexico | 640 | $56,720 | 0.96 |
| New York | 6,570 | $73,760 | 0.88 |
| North Carolina | 2,780 | $50,730 | 0.73 |
| North Dakota | 290 | $65,180 | 0.88 |
| Ohio | 4,180 | $74,790 | 0.98 |
| Oklahoma | 2,820 | $65,640 | 2.14 |
| Oregon | 3,250 | $73,750 | 2.14 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,260 | $61,400 | 0.70 |
| Rhode Island | 370 | $65,100 | 0.96 |
| South Carolina | 1,710 | $49,920 | 0.97 |
| South Dakota | 320 | $47,800 | 0.91 |
| Tennessee | 1,850 | $59,170 | 0.73 |
| Texas | 9,540 | $54,240 | 0.88 |
| Utah | 1,810 | $63,140 | 1.36 |
| Vermont | 370 | $58,250 | 1.58 |
| Virginia | 4,520 | $52,220 | 1.43 |
| Washington | 3,440 | $98,550 | 1.26 |
| West Virginia | 540 | $72,390 | 1.00 |
| Wisconsin | 3,180 | $77,760 | 1.40 |
| Wyoming | 160 | $58,740 | 0.72 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millwrights | 1-2 | 0.972 |
| 2 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 3 | 0.968 |
| 3 | Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic | 1-2 | 0.968 |
| 4 | Carpenters | 1-2 | 0.966 |
| 5 | Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | 1-2 | 0.965 |
| 6 | Rail Car Repairers | 1-2 | 0.963 |
| 7 | Riggers | 1-2 | 0.961 |
| 8 | Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | 1-2 | 0.960 |
| 9 | Patternmakers, Wood | 3 | 0.960 |
| 10 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 1-2 | 0.959 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Sheet Metal Workers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters | Coordination | 0.76 | 0.966 |
| Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 1.13 | 0.959 |
| Weatherization Installers and Technicians | Service Orientation | 1.00 | 0.956 |
| Mechanical Door Repairers | Installation | 1.00 | 0.956 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | Systems Analysis | 1.00 | 0.955 |
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers | Installation | 1.00 | 0.955 |
| Boilermakers | Operation and Control | 1.00 | 0.954 |
| Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.952 |
| Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.946 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Sheet Metal Workers, excluding software Sheet Metal Workers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing and drafting software | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| Job costing software | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| Mastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software | 3 of 20 | 15.4x |
| Quicken | 3 of 20 | 10.7x |
| SAP software | 9 of 20 | 1.5x |
| Dassault Systemes SolidWorks | 3 of 20 | 2.4x |
| Intuit QuickBooks | 3 of 20 | 1.6x |
| Microsoft Outlook | 14 of 20 | 1.0x |
| Database software | 3 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft Access | 3 of 20 | 0.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 2.75 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 3.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | 4.18 | 5.05 |
| Building and Construction | 3.77 | 4.35 |
| Mathematics | 3.76 | 3.84 |
| Design | 3.63 | 3.74 |
| English Language | 3.41 | 2.73 |
| Administration and Management | 3.10 | 3.36 |
| Education and Training | 3.10 | 2.96 |
| Production and Processing | 3.08 | 2.80 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.04 | 3.40 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.86 | 3.16 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.81 | 2.73 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.75 | 2.74 |
| Physics | 2.61 | 2.86 |
| Transportation | 2.41 | 2.09 |
| Administrative | 2.33 | 1.89 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.05 | 1.43 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.85 | 1.40 |
| Law and Government | 1.80 | 1.18 |
| Chemistry | 1.79 | 1.67 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.70 | 1.06 |
| Food Production | 1.65 | 1.07 |
| Psychology | 1.54 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.52 | 0.58 |
| Telecommunications | 1.44 | 0.75 |
| Communications and Media | 1.37 | 0.77 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.31 | 0.73 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.18 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.17 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.16 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.09 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.07 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.00 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Visualization | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.62 | 3.38 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Control Precision | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Static Strength | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Oral Expression | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Depth Perception | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Reaction Time | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Number Facility | 3.00 | 2.38 |
| Rate Control | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Stamina | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Response Orientation | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.50 | 2.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Originality | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Written Expression | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.25 | 2.38 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Memorization | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Explosive Strength | 2.00 | 1.38 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Sound Localization | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Night Vision | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.50 | 0.75 |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Autodesk AutoCAD hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Applied Production ProFab
- Applied Production ProFold
- Corte Certo
- FCC Software AutoPOL Series
- JETCAM Expert
- Merry Mechanization SMP/IS
- PTC Creo Parametric
- QuickPen DuctDesigner 3D
- Revcad Software Sheet Lightning
- Siemens NX
- Striker Systems SS-Profile
- WiCAM PN4000
- XY Soft Sheet Cutting Suite
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Robins, GA | 800 | 13.59 | $70,640 |
| Elmira, NY | 180 | 7.01 | Not available |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 650 | 6.57 | $61,340 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 310 | 5.08 | $79,500 |
| Appleton, WI | 400 | 4.21 | $81,400 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 500 | 4.14 | $62,650 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 2,070 | 3.97 | $68,140 |
| Hot Springs, AR | 110 | 3.56 | $38,980 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 2,080 | 3.54 | $63,390 |
| Ogden, UT | 710 | 3.40 | $65,270 |