The median annual wage for sheet metal workers was $45,750 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $25,760, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $83,230.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for sheet metal workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors
$50,480
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors
39,940
Architectural and structural metals manufacturing
38,740
Those who work in manufacturing are more likely to participate in profit sharing, work overtime, and receive output incentives to supplement their basic wages.
The starting pay for apprentices usually is between 40 percent and 50 percent of what fully trained sheet metal workers make. As they learn more skills, their pay increases.
The vast majority of sheet metal workers are employed full time.