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.
Sheet metal workers fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. The role reports a median annual salary of $60,850 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.48 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include metal joining technologies, types of metal, metal thermal conductivity, rivet types, work ergonomically.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £32,207 a year for Sheet metal workers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5211). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Sheet metal workers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification ITI trade 'Sheet Metal Worker' (1 year, after Class 10) under the Craftsmen Training Scheme[1][2]
- 2 · Certification Pass the all-India trade test to get the National Trade Certificate (NTC) from DGT[1]
- 3 · First role Sheet metal worker (general or structural)[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- DGT — Sheet Metal Worker trade syllabus (Craftsmen Training Scheme) (read on 2026-09-27)
- DGT — List of CTS courses (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Mechanical
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Design
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Production and Processing
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Sheet metal workers do?
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.
How much does Sheet metal workers earn?
The median annual salary for Sheet metal workers in the US is $60,850.
What is the job outlook for Sheet metal workers?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 127,000 workers.
How do I become sheet metal workers?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Sheet metal workers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include metal joining technologies, types of metal, metal thermal conductivity, rivet types, work ergonomically, apply arc welding techniques. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Sheet metal workers?
Our AI-durability model gives Sheet metal workers a score of 0.48 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Sheet metal workers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.