Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010

47-2211 Sheet Metal Workers

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.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
131,600 2.2 % $21.98 $45,710 0.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.02 $15.08 $20.05 $27.40 $35.57
Annual Wage (2) $24,990 $31,360 $41,710 $57,000 $73,980

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Building Equipment Contractors 62,340 3.78 $23.28 $48,420
Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing 15,240 4.69 $19.42 $40,390
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 14,440 2.02 $20.24 $42,100
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 6,800 0.33 $25.32 $52,660
Building Finishing Contractors 3,400 0.51 $22.32 $46,430

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing 15,240 4.69 $19.42 $40,390
Building Equipment Contractors 62,340 3.78 $23.28 $48,420
Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing 3,110 2.47 $19.09 $39,710
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 14,440 2.02 $20.24 $42,100
Ship and Boat Building 1,930 1.54 $20.22 $42,060

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 50 (7) $36.45 $75,820
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing 90 0.06 $33.44 $69,560
Local Government (OES Designation) 330 0.01 $29.46 $61,290
Elementary and Secondary Schools 100 (7) $28.20 $58,660
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 120 0.10 $28.08 $58,400

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 12,600 0.90 0.87 $27.13 $56,440
Texas 11,190 1.11 1.07 $17.35 $36,090
Georgia 5,870 1.57 1.51 $19.50 $40,560
Florida 5,560 0.78 0.76 $17.64 $36,700
Illinois 5,360 0.97 0.94 $28.02 $58,280




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas 3,520 2.70 2.60 $19.27 $40,090
Oklahoma 3,540 2.38 2.30 $20.57 $42,780
North Dakota 710 1.99 1.92 $19.18 $39,900
Montana 710 1.67 1.62 $19.20 $39,940
Wisconsin 4,230 1.62 1.57 $24.04 $50,000




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 1,280 1.15 1.11 $33.01 $68,650
New Jersey 3,140 0.83 0.80 $28.76 $59,820
Hawaii 570 1.00 0.96 $28.70 $59,690
Alaska 360 1.16 1.12 $28.04 $58,320
Illinois 5,360 0.97 0.94 $28.02 $58,280

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 3,970 1.59 1.54 $17.56 $36,530
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,500 0.70 0.68 $31.04 $64,560
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division 3,040 0.86 0.83 $31.37 $65,250
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,970 1.30 1.25 $23.14 $48,130
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 2,630 0.69 0.67 $26.98 $56,130
Oklahoma City, OK 2,430 4.40 4.25 $22.43 $46,660
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 2,060 1.66 1.60 $26.70 $55,530
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 2,050 1.03 0.99 $17.41 $36,220
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,940 0.88 0.85 $18.69 $38,880
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,890 1.12 1.08 $20.19 $42,000




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Warner Robins, GA 1,440 25.35 24.49 $23.48 $48,830
Oklahoma City, OK 2,430 4.40 4.25 $22.43 $46,660
Corpus Christi, TX 650 3.76 3.63 $24.26 $50,460
Grand Forks, ND-MN 170 3.71 3.59 $21.30 $44,300
Longview, WA 120 3.63 3.50 $33.11 $68,880
Ogden-Clearfield, UT 660 3.48 3.37 $24.12 $50,180
Wichita, KS 960 3.46 3.34 $16.08 $33,440
Mobile, AL 550 3.30 3.19 $14.94 $31,080
Pueblo, CO 180 3.23 3.12 $13.48 $28,050
Jefferson City, MO 230 3.23 3.12 $24.38 $50,710