Sheet Metal Workers

Career Description: 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; inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces.

Industry: Construction and Extraction

Other Job Titles for Sheet Metal Workers:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Determine project requirements, including scope, assembly sequences, and required methods and materials, according to blueprints, drawings, and written or verbal instructions.
• Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, according to drawings or templates, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, and rulers.
• Maneuver completed units into position for installation, and anchor the units.
• Convert blueprints into shop drawings to be followed in the construction and assembly of sheet metal products.
• Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, and down spouts, in supportive frameworks.
• Select gauges and types of sheet metal or non-metallic material, according to product specifications.
• Drill and punch holes in metal, for screws, bolts, and rivets.
• Fasten seams and joints together with welds, bolts, cement, rivets, solder, caulks, metal drive clips, and bonds to assemble components into products or to repair sheet metal items.
• Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, and drills.
• Trim, file, grind, deburr, buff, and smooth surfaces, seams, and joints of assembled parts, using hand tools and portable power tools.
• Finish parts, using hacksaws, and hand, rotary, or squaring shears.
• Maintain equipment, making repairs and modifications when necessary.
• Shape metal material over anvils, blocks, or other forms, using hand tools.
• Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation.
• Develop and lay out patterns that use materials most efficiently, using computerized metalworking equipment to experiment with different layouts.
• Inspect individual parts, assemblies, and installations for conformance to specifications and building codes, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers.
• Secure metal roof panels in place, and interlock and fasten grooved panel edges.
• Fasten roof panel edges and machine-made molding to structures, nailing or welding pieces into place.
• Rotate cleaning rods manually, using turning pins.
• Clean and disinfect domestic basements and other areas flooded by sewer stoppages.
• Tap mainline sewers to install sewer saddles.
• Update sewer maps and manhole charts.
• Punch holes in slate, tile, terra cotta, or wooden shingles, using punches and hammers.
• Operate tie-adzing machines to cut ties and permit insertion of fishplates that hold rails.
• Paint railroad signs, such as speed limits and gate-crossing warnings.
• Turn valves to control air and water output of compressors and pumps.
• Operate equipment to demolish and remove debris and to remove snow from streets, roads, and parking lots.
• Operate conveyors to remove grit and debris from digesters.
• Compile cost estimates for jobs.
• Operate hoists to lift power line poles into position.

Emerging Tasks

• Hire, train, and supervise new employees and apprentices.
• Dust rocks after bolting.
• Install various types of bolts including truss, glue, and resin bolts, traversing entire ceiling spans.
• Perform safety checks on equipment before operating.
• Perform tests to determine whether methane gas is present.
• Perform ventilation tasks such as hanging ventilation curtains and tubes.
• Pull down loose rock that cannot be supported.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• adhere to safety procedures
• build or repair structures in construction, repair, or manufacturing setting
• climb ladders, scaffolding, or utility or telephone poles
• cut metal or plastic
• determine material or tool requirements
• determine project methods and procedures
• erect scaffold
• examine products or work to verify conformance to specifications
• fabricate ducting
• fabricate sheet metal parts or items
• fabricate, assemble, or disassemble manufactured products by hand
• file, sand, grind, or polish metal or plastic objects
• identify base metals for welding
• identify properties of metals for repair or fabrication activities
• install sheet metal assemblies in supportive framework
• lay out machining, welding or precision assembly projects
• make independent judgment in assembly procedures
• move or fit heavy objects
• operate metal or plastic fabricating equipment/machinery
• operate sheet metal fabrication machines
• perform safety inspections in construction or resource extraction setting
• perform safety inspections in industrial, manufacturing or repair setting
• position, align, or level machines, equipment, or structures
• read blueprints
• read production layouts
• read technical drawings
• recognize characteristics of alloys
• recognize characteristics of metals
• repair sheet metal products
• set up and operate variety of machine tools
• set up production equipment or machinery
• solder metal parts or components together
• stretch, bend, straighten, shape, pound, or press metal or plastic
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use acetylene welding/cutting torch
• use arc welding equipment
• use combination welding procedures
• use hand or power tools
• use machine tools in installation, maintenance, or repair
• use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
• use precision measuring tools or equipment
• use soldering equipment
• weld together metal parts, components, or structures
• use pipe fitting equipment
• use pressure gauges
• use soldering equipment
• verify levelness or verticality, using level or plumb bob
• weld together metal parts, components, or structures
• use oscilloscopes in electronics repair
• use soldering equipment
• use voltmeter, ammeter, or ohmmeter
• use hazardous materials information
• use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
• use spray paint equipment
• use surfacing machine to polish terrazzo or concrete
• verify levelness or verticality, using level or plumb bob
• work as a team member
• understand construction specifications
• use basic carpentry techniques
• use basic plumbing techniques
• use building materials for routine building maintenance
• use building or land use regulations
• use concrete fabrication techniques
• use hand or power tools
• use hand or power woodworking tools
• use hazardous materials information
• use measuring devices in construction or extraction work
• use oral or written communication techniques
• verify trueness of structure using plumb bob or level
• weld together metal parts, components, or structures

Overall Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a teller might benefit from experience working directly with the public, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be a teller with little difficulty.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.

Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, pharmacy technicians, salespersons (retail), and tellers.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$18.85
• Average annual wage (2007) - $39,210.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 6.75%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 12,727
• Employment (2006): 188,655

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• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Molding and Casting Workers
• Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Semiconductor Processors
• Tool and Die Makers
• Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters
• Tile and Marble Setters