Sheet Metal Workers

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Construction & Extraction
• O*NET-SOC code: 47-2211
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Determine project requirements, such as scope, assembly sequences, or required methods or materials, using blueprints, drawings, or written or verbal instructions.
• Maneuver completed roofing units into position for installation.
• Select gauges or types of sheet metal or nonmetallic material, according to product specifications.
• Shape metal material over anvils, blocks, or other forms, using hand tools.

Tools and technology

Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, AC welding power units, AC/DC welding power units, Acoustic ear muffs or defenders, Adjustable widemouth pliers, Adjustable wrenches, Allen wrenches, Ammeters

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
• Structural Iron and Steel Workers
• Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
• Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
• Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
• Insulation Workers, Mechanical
• Tool and Die Makers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Sheet Metal Workers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.