Trade · ONET 47-2211.00
Sheet Metal Worker
Fabricates and installs ductwork, roofing, cladding, and architectural sheet metal.
What the work looks like
Sheet metal splits between shop fabrication and field installation. Shop workers run brakes and shears, spin up fittings, and assemble duct sections from takeoffs. Field workers hang duct, set air handlers, flash roofs, and build architectural metal like cornice and coping. HVAC mechanical contractors employ most sheet metal workers; roofing and siding specialties employ the rest.
Physical demands
- Lifting and carrying duct sections and coils
- Working at height on commercial roofs and in ceiling plenums
- Cutting exposure (deburring gloves recommended)
- Heat and weather exposure on roofing work
Common tools
- Aviation snips (left, right, straight)
- Hand brake and bench brake
- Hand seamer and tongs
- Crimp and notch tools
- Drill and impact for self-tappers
- Plasma cutter for shop work
Union and non-union paths
SMART (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers) represents most union sheet metal workers and runs joint apprenticeship programs (SMACNA-SMART). Non-union sheet metal shops exist, especially in residential HVAC and roofing, but commercial mechanical work tilts union in most metro areas.
How to enter
Entry routes include SMART joint apprenticeship (four to five years), trade school programs, and direct hire as a shop helper. Certifications for welding stainless and aluminum, TAB (testing, adjusting, balancing), and fall protection add value on the commercial side.
Specialty paths in this trade
Most states license one sheet metal worker classification, but the work splits into distinct paths with different schedules, tools, and wage schedules. Read before choosing a program.
HVAC Duct Installer
The core commercial classification for most SMART locals and open-shop mechanical contractors. Fabricates and installs supply, return, and exhaust duct systems in commercial buildings, hospitals, schools, and industrial plants.
Typical scope
- Reading mechanical drawings and shop takeoffs
- Hanging rectangular and round duct with trapeze and strap supports
- Setting air handlers, VAV boxes, and rooftop units
- Coordinating with pipefitters, electricians, and controls techs in ceiling plenums
Entry: SMART Local JATC apprenticeship, typically 4 to 5 years with roughly 8,000 OJT hours and 800 classroom hours over the program. Open-shop mechanical contractors run parallel registered programs through ABC and independent sponsors.
Wage note: SMART-SMACNA wage schedules are public documents per local. Open-shop rates are set per contractor. Ask for the schedule in writing before signing on.
Architectural Sheet Metal / Roofer
The exterior envelope classification. Covers metal roofing, wall panels, flashing, gutters, cornice, coping, and custom architectural metal on commercial and institutional buildings.
Typical scope
- Standing-seam and batten-seam metal roof systems
- Wall panel systems and rainscreen cladding
- Custom flashing, copings, and counter-flashing at roof transitions
- Historic restoration work on cornice, gutter, and ornamental metal
Entry: SMART Local JATC architectural track where offered, commonly 4 years. Some locals run architectural as a specialty within the main program; others run a separate JATC. Open-shop roofing contractors hire and train on the job with shorter ramp-ups.
Wage note: Architectural wage schedules typically sit near or slightly below HVAC duct schedules in the same local. Exterior exposure and weather drive most of the day-to-day difference.
Testing-Adjusting-Balancing (TAB) Technician
The commissioning classification. Measures and adjusts air and hydronic systems to design flow, pressure, and temperature. Required on most commercial and institutional projects before occupancy.
Typical scope
- Taking pitot-tube traverses, flow hood readings, and pressure measurements
- Adjusting dampers, VAV boxes, and balancing valves to design setpoints
- Producing TAB reports for commissioning agents and building officials
- Post-construction troubleshooting and retro-commissioning
Entry: Most TAB techs come off the tools after several years as an HVAC duct installer, then train through NEBB, TABB, or AABC certification pathways. SMART runs the International Training Institute TAB program for union members.
Wage note: TAB wage schedules typically sit above HVAC duct schedules in the same local once certification is complete. The work is lighter physically and more documentation-heavy.
Service & Refrigeration
The service-side track. Covers HVAC maintenance, commercial refrigeration, and light-industrial process cooling. In SMART locals this is a separate classification from duct installation; in open-shop work it often overlaps with HVAC technician roles.
Typical scope
- Preventive maintenance and service calls on rooftop units and air handlers
- Commercial refrigeration service in grocery, food service, and cold storage
- Refrigerant recovery, evacuation, and charge adjustment
- Controls troubleshooting on packaged and split systems
Entry: SMART Local JATC HVAC service apprenticeship where offered, commonly 5 years. Open-shop service techs often cross over from HVAC mechanic training; EPA 608 is required before handling refrigerants.
Wage note: Service wage schedules sit near HVAC duct schedules in most locals but include more after-hours and on-call premium pay. Truck stock and inventory responsibility come with the role.
Residential, commercial, industrial
Sheet metal is a commercial-heavy trade. The bulk of journey-level work sits in commercial HVAC and architectural scope. Residential work exists but is closer to light service than to full fabrication and installation.
Residential
Light service work: duct repairs, dryer vents, residential HVAC tie-ins, light gutter and flashing. Small crews or single-tech routes. Most residential HVAC contractors run sheet metal as a support scope behind the service tech, not as a standalone trade.
Commercial
The core of the trade. HVAC duct fabrication and installation in offices, schools, hospitals, and retail. Architectural sheet metal on exterior envelopes: metal roofing, wall panels, flashing, and coping. Larger crews, longer projects, and SMACNA-spec work throughout.
Industrial
Dust collection, process ventilation, fume exhaust, and stack work in manufacturing, chemical, and power generation. Heavier gauge metal, more welding (AWS-qualified), and more shutdown and turnaround schedules. Pay commonly sits at the top of the local schedule.
Certifications that unlock premium work
Credentials beyond the state license. Each one opens a specific segment of work where the qualified pool is smaller.
NEBB or TABB TAB Certification ↗
NEBB (National Environmental Balancing Bureau) and TABB (Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau, the SMART-SMACNA body) are the two recognized certifying organizations for testing, adjusting, and balancing. Most commercial and institutional specs require a NEBB- or TABB-certified firm and certified technicians on the TAB report.
Issuer: NEBB / TABB (International Certification Board)
NCI Testing-and-Balancing ↗
National Comfort Institute certifications (Air Balancing, Combustion and Carbon Monoxide Analysis, Duct System Performance) are widely recognized on the residential and light-commercial HVAC side, where full NEBB/TABB certification is less common. Useful for service-track sheet metal workers crossing into diagnostic work.
Issuer: National Comfort Institute
NATE (for HVAC service crossover) ↗
North American Technician Excellence certifications are the recognized credential for HVAC service technicians. Useful for sheet metal workers on the service and refrigeration track who handle diagnostics, controls, and refrigerant systems.
Issuer: North American Technician Excellence
EPA Section 608 Universal ↗
Federal requirement under the Clean Air Act for anyone who handles refrigerants. Universal covers small appliances, high-pressure, and low-pressure systems. Required before any service or refrigeration work involving refrigerant recovery or charging.
Issuer: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (approved testing organizations)
AWS welder qualification ↗
American Welding Society qualification on stainless, aluminum, and carbon steel is commonly required for industrial duct, kitchen exhaust, and stack work. AWS D9.1 is the specific code for sheet metal welding; AWS D1.1 covers structural steel where it intersects sheet metal supports.
Issuer: American Welding Society
SMACNA reference standards familiarity ↗
SMACNA (Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association) publishes the industry reference standards for duct construction, HVAC air duct leakage, architectural sheet metal, and seismic restraint. Not a certification but a required working knowledge for journey-level commercial sheet metal. Most specs reference SMACNA standards by edition.
Issuer: Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association
Tool and equipment investment
Apprentice, year 1
$200 to $600 for basic hand tools the program does not supply (aviation snips left/right/straight, hand seamer, tape, folding rule, awl, tongs, pouch).
Journey level
$1,500 to $4,000 over time for a full personal kit: cordless impact and drill, riveter, torque tools, crimpers and notchers, dividers, levels, and upgraded snips and seamers. Most shops supply brakes, shears, and shop plasma.
Going independent
$75,000 to $250,000 for a small shop setup: hand or power brake, power shear, pittsburgh lock former, stomper and seamer table, notcher, roll former, plasma table, service van, and stock. Industrial and architectural setups sit at the top of the range; simple service-only outfits sit at the bottom.
Shop-supplied tools vary widely by contractor. Union shops typically supply more large tools than open-shop outfits. Ask during hiring which tools the employer provides and which come out of your pocket.
Wages
National median
$60,850
annual, all workers
National mean
$66,110
annual, all workers
By pilot state
BLS OOH tracks sheet metal workers across specialties. Regional demand tracks commercial HVAC retrofits, data center buildout, and heavy industrial work.
BLS OES 47-2211 by-state data shown on this page is statewide median and mean, all-worker, across HVAC, architectural, and industrial sheet metal. Major metros (Seattle, Portland, SF Bay, Chicago, New York, DC, Boston) often pay 15 to 30 percent above their statewide median; rural and small-metro work often pays below. SMART union density varies sharply by metro and state; high-density metros commonly show higher median wages because the union schedule anchors the market. Check the BLS OES metropolitan tables for your target area before relocating. Source: BLS OES 47-2211 by area, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472211.htm.