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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.

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A look at the work

  • 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.
  • Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers.
  • Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills.

A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.

Interests involved in this work

These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.

Hands-on

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

7.0 / 7

Investigative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

2.1 / 7

Creative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.6 / 7

Helping people

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.0 / 7

Enterprising

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.0 / 7

Organizing

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

3.6 / 7

Skills to explore

Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

2023-08

3.1 / 5

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

2023-08

3.1 / 5

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

2023-08

3.1 / 5

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

2023-08

3.1 / 5

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

2023-08

3.0 / 5

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

2023-08

3.0 / 5

Time Management

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

2023-08

3.0 / 5

Mathematics

Using mathematics to solve problems.

2023-08

3.0 / 5

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

2023-08

3.0 / 5

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

2023-08

2.9 / 5

Plan a small next step

Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.

Source preparation category: Job Zone 2 of 5 · 2026-02. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.

Related study fields

Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.

Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking →

Explore all related study fields →

Source & methodology

O*NET-SOC code 47-2211.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.

How interest exploration matching works →

Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.