Construction and Extraction
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.
Also called: Commercial Sheet Metal Service Installer, Field Installer, HVAC Sheet Metal Installer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Installer), HVAC Sheet Metal Specialist (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Specialist), Sheet Metal Fabricator, Sheet Metal Installer
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $82,550
- $39.69/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 2,330
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- Not published
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Apprenticeship
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $43,210 | $52,760 | $82,550 | $93,840 | $121,060 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- 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.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure10 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 11
- Language-model AIOE 9
- GPTs-are-GPTs 11
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure for this job is lower, and AI tools are seen in little or no use in it today. AI tools may help with planning and sizing duct work. Welding, fastening, fabricating, and installing parts at job sites remain hands-on work.
Likely to change
- Planning and sizing duct layouts
- Preparing cut lists and project paperwork
Still relies on people
- Welding, riveting, and fastening metal parts
- Installing ducts and flashing at job sites
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Fastening metal with welds and bolts and following specifications carry over. Boston pay is higher ($120,840), through an apprenticeship.
- Pay difference
- +$38,290 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +6.1%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Glaziers
Installing parts in frameworks and working from blueprints build on your skills. Boston pay is higher ($107,610), through an apprenticeship.
- Pay difference
- +$25,060 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +4.9%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
Cutting materials to blueprints and joining pieces tightly carries over. Boston pay is higher ($98,290), growth is 11.3%, and no formal credential is needed.
- Pay difference
- +$15,740 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +11.3%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Who employs sheet metal workers on Boston construction projects
Hours worked on projects covered by the Boston Residents Jobs Policy over the last 24 months. This shows who has employed sheet metal workers, not who has openings.
650,380 worker hours from Oct 20, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026 (trades: Sheetmetal Worker).
- 21.7%
- of hours by boston residents
- 36.7%
- of hours by people of color
- 5.6%
- of hours by women
| Employer | Worker hours | Boston resident share | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| McCusker-Gill Inc. | 241,768 | 23.5% | 7 |
| Worcester Air Conditioning, LLC | 88,315 | 19.1% | 7 |
| United HVAC Company, Inc. | 49,050 | 26.7% | 9 |
| J. C. Cannistraro, LLC (RJP) | 40,260 | 19.5% | 6 |
| Quality Air Metals, Inc. | 39,685 | 27.3% | 4 |
| Cox Engineering Co. | 39,555 | 19.3% | 3 |
| Superior Plumbing, Inc. | 35,474 | 19.4% | 6 |
| Atlantis Comfort Systems | 23,353 | 27.1% | 4 |
Related occupations
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
- Tool and Die Makers
- Carpenters
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach