National Salary Info » Sheet Metal Workers

Highest Paying Industries for Sheet Metal Workers

The top 100 highest paying industries for sheet metal workers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $87,140, masonry contractors is the highest paying industry for sheet metal workers. It is followed by state government, excluding schools and hospitals (oes designation) industry (average annual salary $79,750). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of sheet metal workers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Sheet Metal Workers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Masonry Contractors	$87,140	$55,160	40
2	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$79,750	$37,560	110
3	Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$69,510	$30,470	n/a
4	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	$64,950	$28,450	100
5	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$64,310	$40,450	50
6	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$62,630	$40,020	60
7	Health Care and Social Assistance	$62,630	$40,020	60
8	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$60,780	$28,060	430
9	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$60,260	$29,200	560
10	Food Manufacturing	$58,860	$40,770	40
11	Rail Transportation	$57,410	$43,840	1,200
12	Educational Services - Local government owned	$56,420	$38,380	100
13	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$56,230	$37,780	90
14	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$56,230	$37,780	90
15	State government, including schools and hospitals	$55,770	$30,710	410
16	Transportation and Warehousing	$55,270	$35,040	1,770
17	Chemical Manufacturing	$54,960	$35,890	70
18	Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	$54,450	$32,170	120
19	Federal government, including USPS	$54,090	$47,550	6,350
20	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$54,090	$47,550	6,350
21	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$54,090	$46,090	7,320
22	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$54,090	$47,410	6,880
23	Federal, State, and Local Government	$54,090	$47,410	6,880
24	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$53,560	$35,610	340
25	Engineering Services	$53,420	$35,500	340
26	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$52,430	$33,530	440
27	Educational Services	$52,100	$30,650	460
28	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$50,540	$30,260	60
29	Educational Services - Privately owned	$50,540	$30,260	60
30	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$50,460	$28,990	360
31	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$50,440	$28,670	300
32	Educational Services - State government owned	$50,440	$28,670	300
33	Utility System Construction	$49,470	$26,590	160
34	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$49,310	$27,860	58,900
35	Support Activities for Air Transportation	$49,100	$31,350	520
36	Ship and Boat Building	$49,030	$33,500	1,840
37	Building Equipment Contractors	$48,720	$27,550	61,610
38	Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$48,670	$31,790	n/a
39	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	$47,490	$30,950	70
40	Drywall and Insulation Contractors	$46,540	$28,640	410
41	Specialty Trade Contractors	$46,290	$26,470	79,930
42	Construction	$45,930	$26,210	84,270
43	Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	$45,330	$25,730	1,040
44	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$45,320	$23,760	170
45	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$44,940	$26,480	1,580
46	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	$44,770	$28,240	40
47	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	$44,760	$20,840	40
48	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$44,410	$26,760	4,660
49	Building Finishing Contractors	$44,260	$23,780	2,340
50	Other Building Equipment Contractors	$43,750	$26,660	1,340
51	Machine Shops	$43,630	$26,100	860
52	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	$41,500	$26,650	150
53	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	$40,830	$24,680	120
54	Roofing Contractors	$40,800	$26,020	8,300
55	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$40,460	$22,880	440
56	Nonresidential Building Construction	$40,310	$25,320	3,160
57	Commercial and Industrial Machinery Equipment (except Auto and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance	$39,320	$26,530	180
58	Manufacturing	$39,110	$23,930	34,560
59	Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing	$39,060	$23,600	19,480
60	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$38,850	$23,590	23,050
61	Wholesale Trade	$38,810	$23,460	520
62	Industrial Machinery Manufacturing	$38,690	$27,350	400
63	Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors	$38,550	$24,420	15,510
64	Repair and Maintenance	$38,440	$27,080	210
65	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$38,440	$27,080	210
66	Construction of Buildings	$38,370	$22,670	4,160
67	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$38,110	$24,710	1,050
68	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$37,680	$21,940	60
69	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$37,380	$23,480	390
70	Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing	$37,380	$27,800	870
71	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$37,310	$23,900	340
72	Machinery Manufacturing	$37,220	$24,040	5,450
73	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$37,140	$23,310	300
74	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	$36,800	$25,050	700
75	Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing	$36,660	$22,640	2,470
76	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$36,370	$22,200	800
77	Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers	$35,910	$24,200	n/a
78	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$35,630	$19,390	3,100
79	Administrative and Support Services	$35,600	$19,380	3,090
80	Forging and Stamping	$35,530	$22,510	300
81	Employment Services	$35,450	$19,310	3,030
82	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$35,350	$27,850	n/a
83	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$34,060	$26,150	40
84	Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers	$33,530	$21,790	160
85	Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing	$33,370	$22,140	1,020
86	Other Specialty Trade Contractors	$33,250	$19,020	470
87	Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	$33,030	$22,850	700
88	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$32,830	$24,490	140
89	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	$32,300	$23,340	570
90	Temporary Help Services	$32,100	$19,360	1,590
91	Plastics Product Manufacturing	$31,600	$25,980	30
92	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	$31,150	$26,030	50
93	Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers	$30,100	$25,740	n/a
94	Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing	$27,250	$21,650	n/a
95	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$26,310	$20,670	n/a
96	Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing	$24,870	$20,490	40
97	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$19,450	$16,250	n/a