Sheet Metal Workers
Description OES Code: 89132
Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: Set up and operate fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shape metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operate soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; inspect, assemble, and smooth seams and joints of burred surfaces.

Wages, California
Entry-Level Hourly Wage $9.86
25th Percentile $11.61
50th Percentile $16.78
75th Percentile $24.20

Wages, San Joaquin County
Entry-Level Hourly Wage $11.51
25th Percentile $13.16
50th Percentile $18.41
75th Percentile $24.38

Wages by California County
• OES Survey
• CCOIS Survey

Hours & Benefits
Overtime is paid at either time-and-a-half or double the regular rate. Although hourly wages, combined with fringe benefits, are relatively high in this occupation, many jobs last only through peak construction seasons.

Benefits for almost all Sheet Metal Workers include paid vacation, sick leave and medical and dental insurance. Most have at least partially paid retirement and vision and life insurance.

Employment Trends, California
Employment 1998 19,000
Projected Employment 2008 22,400
Percent Change 1998-2008 17.9%
Separations 1998-2008 5,000

Employment Trends, San Joaquin County
Employment 1999 340
Projected Employment 2006 450
Percent Change 1999-2006 32.4%
Separations 1999-2006 70

Employment Trends by California County

Working Conditions
Sheet Metal Workers may work inside or outside, in a shop or at the job site. Most shops have adequate lighting, ventilation, and machinery safeguards, but may be unheated, oily, greasy, and noisy. At job sites, work may be done from high ladders and scaffolding, or in confined areas. Those that install siding, roofs, and gutters may be exposed to all kinds of weather. Since workers are subject to cuts from sharp metal, burns from soldering and welding, and falls from ladders and scaffolds, and harmful noise, they must follow safety practices. Sheet Metal Workers do much standing, walking, and climbing.

Advancement
Opportunities for advancement, as well as year-round employment, are enhanced if journey-level workers continue to broaden and improve their skills. Courses in blueprint reading, welding, heating and air-conditioning
are particularly valuable. Some journey-level workers become supervisors; others become estimators or managers. Those who establish their own business need to get a sheet metal contractor's license from the Contractors State License Board. The license requirements include four years of journey-level experience and written examinations which test knowledge of sheet metal work and business operations.

Getting the Job & Other Information
Apprenticeship candidates are advised to consult with local offices of the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards and the Sheet Metal Workers International Association. Journey-level Sheet Metal Workers may find work by registration with the union or by direct application to employers.

For a list of current job listings, browse CalJOBS or America's Job Bank.

Education and Training
Completion of a four-year, formal apprenticeship program is the general requirement for journey-level status. Apprenticeship programs, administered in each area by the local Sheet Metal Joint Apprenticeship Committee, include practical work experience as well as by related classroom instruction.

Apprenticeship programs require a high school diploma or equivalent, written tests and personal interviews. High school or community college courses in algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mechanical drawing, and metal shop are recommended to prepare for training.

Skills & Other Requirements
Applicants should be in good physical condition and have mechanical and mathematical aptitude. Good eye-hand coordination, spatial and form perception, and manual dexterity are also important. Some employers provide informal on-the-job training for helpers, who learn by assisting journey-level Sheet Metal Workers. Sheet Metal Workers may be required to furnish their own hand tools.

References
California Occupational Guide #49

Related Occupations: Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Mechanics, Metal Workers, Fabrication & Structural, #112

Training: California Training and Education Providers (CTEP)