Sheet Metal Workers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for sheet metal workerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$101,200
- Hawaii$91,310
- New Jersey$88,620
- California$85,580
- Alaska$83,980
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$45,800
- Alabama$51,190
- Mississippi$52,190
- Louisiana$52,960
- Florida$53,120
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $101,200 | $98,550 | $49 | +49.2% | 3,440 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $91,310 | $96,350 | $44 | +34.6% | 490 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $88,620 | $92,840 | $43 | +30.6% | 2,790 |
| 4 | California | $85,580 | $76,590 | $41 | +26.1% | 8,390 |
| 5 | Alaska | $83,980 | $94,600 | $40 | +23.8% | 240 |
| 6 | Illinois | $81,960 | $86,630 | $39 | +20.8% | 3,260 |
| 7 | Oregon | $80,290 | $73,750 | $39 | +18.3% | 3,250 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $78,900 | $82,100 | $38 | +16.3% | 2,890 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $78,420 | $72,970 | $38 | +15.6% | 2,980 |
| 10 | New York | $77,240 | $73,760 | $37 | +13.8% | 6,570 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $76,130 | $77,760 | $37 | +12.2% | 3,180 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $74,720 | $78,750 | $36 | +10.1% | 1,480 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $72,910 | $61,400 | $35 | +7.5% | 3,260 |
| 14 | Missouri | $71,050 | $63,560 | $34 | +4.7% | 2,640 |
| 15 | Indiana | $70,030 | $64,040 | $34 | +3.2% | 4,580 |
| 16 | Ohio | $68,810 | $74,790 | $33 | +1.4% | 4,180 |
| 17 | Kansas | $68,590 | $62,670 | $33 | +1.1% | 1,730 |
| 18 | Michigan | $68,100 | $64,490 | $33 | +0.4% | 4,000 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $67,250 | $64,440 | $32 | -0.9% | 440 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $66,540 | $65,180 | $32 | -1.9% | 290 |
| 21 | Iowa | $65,480 | $66,460 | $31 | -3.5% | 1,650 |
| 22 | Montana | $64,660 | $61,420 | $31 | -4.7% | 410 |
| 23 | Nevada | $64,490 | $46,730 | $31 | -5% | 1,270 |
| 24 | Maryland | $64,410 | $62,560 | $31 | -5.1% | 1,940 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $64,060 | $65,100 | $31 | -5.6% | 370 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $63,790 | $60,680 | $31 | -6% | 2,210 |
| 27 | Utah | $63,690 | $63,140 | $31 | -6.1% | 1,810 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $63,510 | $65,640 | $31 | -6.4% | 2,820 |
| 29 | Maine | $61,830 | $62,120 | $30 | -8.9% | 830 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $61,250 | $72,390 | $29 | -9.7% | 540 |
| 31 | Delaware | $61,140 | $61,460 | $29 | -9.9% | 440 |
| 32 | Colorado | $60,390 | $57,880 | $29 | -11% | 1,660 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $60,080 | $58,740 | $29 | -11.5% | 160 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $59,950 | $56,720 | $29 | -11.6% | 640 |
| 35 | Vermont | $59,740 | $58,250 | $29 | -12% | 370 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $59,390 | $59,170 | $29 | -12.5% | 1,850 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $59,190 | $59,800 | $28 | -12.8% | 760 |
| 38 | Georgia | $58,010 | $56,800 | $28 | -14.5% | 3,590 |
| 39 | Texas | $56,500 | $54,240 | $27 | -16.7% | 9,540 |
| 40 | Arizona | $56,480 | $50,260 | $27 | -16.8% | 3,060 |
| 41 | Idaho | $55,090 | $46,350 | $26 | -18.8% | 1,290 |
| 42 | Virginia | $55,090 | $52,220 | $26 | -18.8% | 4,520 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $54,560 | $50,730 | $26 | -19.6% | 2,780 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $54,140 | $47,800 | $26 | -20.2% | 320 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $53,200 | $49,920 | $26 | -21.6% | 1,710 |
| 46 | Florida | $53,120 | $49,640 | $26 | -21.7% | 8,040 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $52,960 | $50,320 | $25 | -21.9% | 1,080 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $52,190 | $49,500 | $25 | -23.1% | 1,260 |
| 49 | Alabama | $51,190 | $47,530 | $25 | -24.6% | 1,450 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $45,800 | $45,820 | $22 | -32.5% | 1,230 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 360 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $109,830 | $108,590 | 2,190 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $109,280 | $105,710 | 750 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $102,660 | $105,760 | 880 |
| 4 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $100,650 | $104,520 | 100 |
| 5 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $100,470 | $91,890 | 150 |
| 6 | Anchorage, AK | $98,070 | $85,540 | 160 |
| 7 | Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $96,150 | $81,830 | 130 |
| 8 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $96,000 | $97,940 | 190 |
| 9 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $95,310 | $85,620 | 2,430 |
| 10 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $93,380 | $91,060 | 440 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing sheet metal workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $106,340 | $113,530 | 30 |
| 2 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $106,340 | $113,530 | 30 |
| 3 | Hospitals | $104,780 | $107,980 | 40 |
| 4 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $104,780 | $109,700 | 40 |
| 5 | Sector 62 - Health Care and Social Assistance | $104,780 | $107,980 | 40 |
| 6 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $102,150 | $101,860 | 330 |
| 7 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $102,150 | $99,990 | 410 |
| 8 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $100,280 | $92,940 | 30 |
| 9 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $100,280 | $92,940 | 30 |
| 10 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $95,060 | $84,480 | 190 |
| 11 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $95,060 | $84,500 | 200 |
| 12 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, State Government Owned | $95,060 | $85,160 | 190 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do sheet metal workers make in the U.S.?
The median sheet metal workers salary in the United States is $61,800 per year (mean $67,850), and about 80% earn between $38,630 and $105,650.
How much do sheet metal workers make per hour?
Roughly $33 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $67,850 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays sheet metal workers the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for sheet metal workers at $101,200 per year (median $98,550).
What is the job outlook for sheet metal workers?
Employment is projected to change +2.4% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 10,600 openings per year.