Sheet Metal Workers

Wages
In 2021, the average annual wage in Alabama was $41,750 with most people making between $29,010 and $59,390.
Wages by Industry
  • Building Equipment Contractors $48,420.00
  • Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing $40,390.00
  • Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors $42,100.00
  • Building Finishing Contractors $46,430.00
  • Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing $39,710.00
  • Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing $43,780.00
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Common Majors
  • Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking
About the job

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.


What you'll do
    • Construct components for high-performance wind turbine systems.
    • Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems.
    • Fasten roof panel edges and machine-made molding to structures, nailing or welding pieces into place.
    • Hire, train, or supervise new employees or apprentices.
    • Inspect individual parts, assemblies, and installations for conformance to specifications and building codes, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers.
    • Install green architectural sheet metal components, such as cool roofs or hot or cold walls.
    • Perform building commissioning activities by completing mechanical inspections of a building's water, lighting, or heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
    • Perform sheet metal work necessary for solar panel installations.
    • Secure metal roof panels in place, and interlock and fasten grooved panel edges.
    • Verify that heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed, installed, and calibrated in accordance with green certification standards, such as those of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
Things you need to know
    • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Abilities you'll need to have
    • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
    • Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
    • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
    • Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
    • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
    • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
    • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.