Average Hourly Wage of Sheet Metal Workers, By State

Photo by PEO ACWA, CC BY 2.0

Photo by PEO ACWA, CC BY 2.0

This is the 14th installment of Construction Junkie's weekly analysis of the hourly wages of each individual construction profession by state.  The three previous professions we examined were building inspectors, construction managers, and construction superintendents.  You can also see the full list of all past and future professions by clicking here.

Sheet metal workers are most often seen on construction sites installing or repairing HVAC ductwork, but their duties can also include installing sheet metal roofs, siding, and gutters.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the sheet metal profession will grow 9% by 2026.  A high school diploma and apprenticeship training is typically required to become a sheet metal worker in the construction industry.

Below you'll find a breakout of how each state compensates their building inspectors. All data below comes from the BLS' most recent reports from May 2016. 

Graph of Average Hourly Wage of Sheet Metal Workers, by State

click for larger image

click for larger image

Rankings of Average Hourly Wage of Sheet Metal Workers, by State

51. North Carolina  --  $17.08/hour

50. Arkansas  --  $17.96/hour

49. Mississippi  --  $18.03/hour

48. Idaho  --  $18.31/hour

47. South Carolina  --  $18.38/hour

46. Alabama  --  $18.47/hour

45. Florida  --  $18.48/hour

44. South Dakota  --  $18.97/hour

43. Texas--$19.27/hour

42. Louisiana  --  $19.68/hour

41. Georgia  --  $20.96/hour

40. New Mexico  --  $21.12/hour

39. Wyoming  --  $21.21/hour

38. Arizona  --  $21.33/hour

37. Tennessee  --  $21.46/hour

36. Kentucky  --  $21.75/hour

35. Colorado  --  $21.90/hour

34. Maine  --  $22.11/hour

33. Nevada  --  $22.28/hour

32. Utah  --  $22.36/hour

31. Iowa  --  $22.47/hour

30. New Hampshire  --  $22.48/hour

29. Virginia  --  $22.51/hour

28. Vermont  --  $22.60/hour

27. Oklahoma  --  $23.02/hour

26. Indiana  --  $23.16/hour

25. Ohio  --  $23.16/hour

24. Nebraska  --  $23.40/hour

23. North Dakota  --  $23.67/hour

22. Montana  --  $23.77/hour

21. Kansas  --  $24.30/hour

20. Oregon  --  $24.31/hour

19. Maryland  --  $24.53/hour

18. Michigan  --  $24.74/hour

17. West Virginia  --  $24.85/hour

16. Rhode Island  --  $25.02/hour

15. Wisconsin  --  $25.19/hour

14. Connecticut  --  $25.52/hour

13. Pennsylvania  --  $26.31/hour

12. Delaware  --  $26.39/hour

11. California  --  $28.37/hour

10. District of Columbia  --  $28.61/hour

9. Missouri  --  $28.62/hour

8. Washington  --  $30.07/hour

7. New Jersey  --  $30.47/hour

6. Massachusetts  --  $31.14/hour

5. New York  --  $31.20/hour

4. Minnesota  --  $31.32/hour

3. Hawaii  --  $32.24/hour

2. Illinois  --  $36.01/hour

1. Alaska  --  $37.68/hour

Graph of Average Hourly Wage of Sheet Metal Workers - Adjusted for Cost of Living, by State

Cost of living in each state also has a large impact on the amount of money construction trades actually bring home, so the graph below shows each state's adjusted hourly wage based upon the cost of living index for that state.  All cost of living index data comes from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center and was last updated for the second quarter of 2017.  The cost of living index was based upon grocery, housing, utilities, transportation, health, and miscellaneous costs for each state. 

click for larger image

click for larger image

Rankings of Average Hourly Wage of Sheet Metal Workers- Adjusted for Cost of Living, by State

51. Hawaii  --  $10.83/hour

50. District of Columbia  --  $13.33/hour

49. California  --  $15.43/hour

48. Oregon  --  $16.60/hour

47. Maryland  --  $17.91/hour

46. North Carolina  --  $18.00/hour

45. South Carolina  --  $18.64/hour

44. Florida  --  $18.76/hour

43. South Dakota--$19.05/hour

42. Rhode Island  --  $19.44/hour

41. Maine  --  $19.52/hour

40. New Hampshire  --  $19.78/hour

39. Idaho  --  $19.90/hour

38. Alabama  --  $20.19/hour

37. Arkansas  --  $20.22/hour

36. Mississippi  --  $20.64/hour

35. Louisiana  --  $20.74/hour

34. Nevada  --  $21.08/hour

33. Texas  --  $21.08/hour

32. Colorado  --  $21.26/hour

31. Connecticut  --  $21.31/hour

30. New York  --  $21.34/hour

29. Massachusetts  --  $21.64/hour

28. Vermont  --  $21.94/hour

27. Wyoming  --  $21.95/hour

26. Virginia  --  $22.01/hour

25. Arizona  --  $22.08/hour

24. New Mexico  --  $22.37/hour

23. Georgia  --  $22.93/hour

22. Kentucky  --  $23.21/hour

21. Utah  --  $23.41/hour

20. Montana  --  $23.60/hour

19. New Jersey  --  $23.61/hour

18. Tennessee  --  $23.73/hour

17. North Dakota  --  $23.93/hour

16. Iowa  --  $24.29/hour

15. Ohio  --  $24.94/hour

14. Indiana  --  $25.29/hour

13. Nebraska  --  $25.32/hour

12. Oklahoma  --  $25.37/hour

11. Delaware  --  $25.81/hour

10. Wisconsin  --  $25.84/hour

9. West Virginia  --  $25.87/hour

8. Pennsylvania  --  $25.89/hour

7. Alaska  --  $26.23/hour

6. Kansas  --  $26.80/hour

5. Michigan  --  $27.14/hour

4. Washington  --  $27.66/hour

3. Minnesota  --  $31.38/hour

2. Missouri  --  $31.51/hour

1. Illinois  --  $37.02/hour

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