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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

47-2211 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.


National estimates for Sheet Metal Workers
Industry profile for Sheet Metal Workers
Geographic profile for Sheet Metal Workers

National estimates for Sheet Metal Workers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Sheet Metal Workers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
120,810 1.8 % $ 29.47 $ 61,300 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for Sheet Metal Workers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 17.10 $ 20.00 $ 26.61 $ 36.74 $ 47.86
Annual Wage (2) $ 35,570 $ 41,590 $ 55,350 $ 76,410 $ 99,560


Industry profile for Sheet Metal Workers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Sheet Metal Workers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Sheet Metal Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Sheet Metal Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Building Equipment Contractors 56,420 2.41 $ 32.92 $ 68,480
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 18,410 3.79 $ 25.83 $ 53,730
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 15,550 1.63 $ 25.01 $ 52,030
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 5,970 0.29 $ 30.45 $ 63,330
Nonresidential Building Construction 4,090 0.50 $ 28.06 $ 58,360

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Sheet Metal Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 18,410 3.79 $ 25.83 $ 53,730
Building Equipment Contractors 56,420 2.41 $ 32.92 $ 68,480
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 15,550 1.63 $ 25.01 $ 52,030
Ship and Boat Building 1,910 1.29 $ 28.15 $ 58,560
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing 2,020 1.20 $ 28.47 $ 59,210

Top paying industries for Sheet Metal Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 540 0.12 $ 51.55 $ 107,230
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 290 0.01 $ 46.15 $ 96,000
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 30 0.01 $ 46.00 $ 95,670
Utility System Construction 190 0.03 $ 45.09 $ 93,780
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 50 (7) $ 44.61 $ 92,780


Geographic profile for Sheet Metal Workers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Sheet Metal Workers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Sheet Metal Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of sheet metal workers by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Sheet Metal Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 11,310 0.64 0.78 $ 39.70 $ 82,580
Texas 8,690 0.67 0.82 $ 24.81 $ 51,600
Florida 7,980 0.87 1.06 $ 22.97 $ 47,780
New York 6,110 0.67 0.82 $ 33.26 $ 69,170
Illinois 4,690 0.80 0.98 $ 38.10 $ 79,250


Map of location quotient of sheet metal workers by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sheet Metal Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oklahoma 2,900 1.80 2.21 $ 27.07 $ 56,300
Maine 900 1.47 1.80 $ 24.02 $ 49,970
Missouri 3,910 1.39 1.70 $ 30.85 $ 64,170
Oregon 2,620 1.38 1.69 $ 32.22 $ 67,010
Delaware 630 1.38 1.68 $ 28.36 $ 58,990


Map of annual mean wages of sheet metal workers by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Sheet Metal Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 3,310 0.97 1.19 $ 41.40 $ 86,110
Alaska 330 1.08 1.32 $ 41.32 $ 85,940
California 11,310 0.64 0.78 $ 39.70 $ 82,580
Hawaii 550 0.93 1.13 $ 39.25 $ 81,630
Illinois 4,690 0.80 0.98 $ 38.10 $ 79,250



Map of employment of sheet metal workers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Sheet Metal Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 6,760 0.74 0.90 $ 34.77 $ 72,320
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 3,520 0.80 0.98 $ 39.01 $ 81,140
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,020 0.50 0.61 $ 40.25 $ 83,720
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,740 0.72 0.88 $ 25.54 $ 53,130
Oklahoma City, OK 2,200 3.50 4.29 $ 27.46 $ 57,110
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,150 0.71 0.86 $ 24.93 $ 51,850
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,140 0.79 0.96 $ 24.26 $ 50,460
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,990 0.90 1.10 $ 22.84 $ 47,520
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,940 0.95 1.17 $ 45.82 $ 95,310
St. Louis, MO-IL 1,860 1.42 1.74 $ 34.90 $ 72,590


Map of location quotient of sheet metal workers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sheet Metal Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Warner Robins, GA 1,000 13.22 16.18 $ 28.65 $ 59,580
Elkhart-Goshen, IN 1,750 12.32 15.08 $ 29.71 $ 61,800
Oklahoma City, OK 2,200 3.50 4.29 $ 27.46 $ 57,110
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 420 3.00 3.68 $ 34.38 $ 71,510
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS 440 2.95 3.61 (8) (8)
Elmira, NY 100 2.87 3.51 $ 28.21 $ 58,680
Ogden-Clearfield, UT 770 2.78 3.40 $ 26.09 $ 54,270
Appleton, WI 330 2.76 3.38 $ 34.71 $ 72,190
Muskegon, MI 170 2.74 3.36 $ 28.90 $ 60,110
Flint, MI 310 2.41 2.95 $ 32.15 $ 66,860


Map of annual mean wages of sheet metal workers by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Sheet Metal Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,120 1.00 1.22 $ 50.00 $ 104,000
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,300 0.54 0.66 $ 47.74 $ 99,300
Kankakee, IL 50 1.14 1.40 $ 46.13 $ 95,940
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,940 0.95 1.17 $ 45.82 $ 95,310
Longview, WA 50 1.32 1.62 $ 44.83 $ 93,240
Kennewick-Richland, WA 180 1.48 1.81 $ 42.74 $ 88,900
Anchorage, AK 230 1.36 1.67 $ 41.92 $ 87,190
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 70 1.20 1.47 $ 41.07 $ 85,420
Fairbanks, AK 80 2.22 2.72 $ 40.61 $ 84,460
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,020 0.50 0.61 $ 40.25 $ 83,720

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Sheet Metal Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 330 1.75 2.14 (8) (8)
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 230 1.11 1.36 $ 24.59 $ 51,160
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 210 0.99 1.21 $ 24.38 $ 50,710
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 200 0.52 0.63 $ 22.92 $ 47,680
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 200 0.88 1.07 $ 19.75 $ 41,090

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Sheet Metal Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 180 2.46 3.01 $ 17.59 $ 36,600
Northwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 160 1.87 2.29 $ 18.51 $ 38,510
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 330 1.75 2.14 (8) (8)
Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area 100 1.47 1.80 $ 20.12 $ 41,850
North Florida nonmetropolitan area 170 1.45 1.78 $ 18.66 $ 38,810

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Sheet Metal Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 0.39 0.47 $ 38.89 $ 80,900
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 150 1.17 1.43 $ 37.07 $ 77,100
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 60 0.47 0.58 $ 35.68 $ 74,220
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 60 0.59 0.72 $ 33.96 $ 70,630
Northeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 0.93 1.14 $ 32.48 $ 67,560


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023