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.
🎬Career Video
📋Key Responsibilities
- •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.
- •Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers.
- •Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills.
💡Inside This Career
The sheet metal worker fabricates and installs thin metal products—laying out patterns, cutting and forming metal, and installing the ductwork, roofing, and architectural elements that buildings require. A typical day blends fabrication with installation. Perhaps 50% of time goes to fabrication: laying out patterns, cutting metal, forming shapes, joining pieces. Another 45% involves installation—hanging ductwork, installing flashing, connecting systems. The remaining time addresses documentation and coordination.
People who thrive as sheet metal workers combine mathematical precision with mechanical skill and the spatial ability that working from drawings requires. Successful workers develop expertise in both shop fabrication and field installation while building the precision that airtight systems demand. They must read complex drawings and translate them to metal. Those who struggle often cannot visualize three-dimensional shapes from drawings or find the precision requirements challenging. Others fail because they cannot achieve the tight tolerances that HVAC systems require.
Sheet metal work represents a versatile trade spanning fabrication shops to construction sites, with workers creating the metal systems that control air and protect buildings. The trade requires both mental and manual skills. Sheet metal workers appear in discussions of skilled trades, HVAC systems, and the craftspeople who work in metal.
Practitioners cite the variety and the skill as primary rewards. The combination of fabrication and installation provides variety. The mathematical and spatial challenges are engaging. The trade is always in demand. The union provides excellent training and benefits. The skill level commands respect. The results are lasting and functional. Common frustrations include the physical demands and the conditions. Many find that working with sharp metal causes cuts constantly. The installation work often involves heights and awkward spaces. The trade takes years to master. Temperature extremes in ductwork areas are common.
This career requires sheet metal apprenticeship and training. Strong mathematical ability, spatial visualization, and mechanical skills are essential. The role suits those who want skilled trade work combining mental and physical challenges. It is poorly suited to those uncomfortable with mathematics, unable to visualize from drawings, or preferring simpler work. Compensation is strong for skilled trade work.
📈Career Progression
📚Education & Training
Requirements
- •Entry Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- •Experience: Some experience helpful
- •On-the-job Training: Few months to one year
Time & Cost
🤖AI Resilience Assessment
AI Resilience Assessment
Low Exposure: AI has limited applicability to this work; stable employment prospects
How much of this job involves tasks AI can currently perform
Likelihood that AI replaces workers vs. assists them
(BLS 2024-2034)
How much this role relies on distinctly human capabilities
💻Technology Skills
⭐Key Abilities
🏷️Also Known As
🔗Related Careers
Other careers in construction
🔗Data Sources
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