A sheet metal worker is a skilled tradesman who creates, installs, and repairs sheet metal products. Most commonly these products include elements of heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, although sheet metal workers also fabricate and repair products for drainage and roofing applications.
Sheet metal workers need good hand-eye coordination to make precise cuts and bends in metal pieces. Mechanical skills. Sheet metal workers use saws, lasers, shears, and presses to do their job. As a result, they should have good mechanical skills in order to help operate and maintain equipment.
Sheet metal workers risk injury on the job. Common injuries include cuts from sharp metal, burns from soldering or welding, and falls from ladders or scaffolding. Some sheet metal fabricators work around high-speed machines, which can be dangerous.
Employment of sheet metal workers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth reflects an expected increase in the number of industrial, commercial, and residential structures that will be built over the coming decade.
Fabrication sheet metal workers, sometimes called precision sheet metal workers, make precision sheet metal parts for a variety of industries, from power generation to medical device manufacturing. Installation sheet metal workers install heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) ducts.