How To Become A Metal Handler: What It Is and Career Path

What is a metal handler and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a metal handler. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.39 an hour? That's $36,177 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 358,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMetal HandlerUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $36,177

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.04%

Asian 5.43%

Black or African American 10.21%

Hispanic or Latino 15.92%

Unknown 5.08%

White 62.32%

Gender

female 9.76%

male 90.24%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.7

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a metal handler

Explore metal handler education requirements

Most common metal handler degrees

High School Diploma

45.2 %

Diploma

22.6 %

Certificate

12.9 %

Start to develop specific metal handler skills

Skills	Percentages
CNC	68.99%
Load Trucks	31.01%

Complete relevant metal handler training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New metal handlers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a metal handler based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real metal handler resumes.

Research metal handler duties and responsibilities

Sheet metal facility that fabricates ductwork for HVAC systems.
Ensure all assign freight packages are sorted and appropriately distribute throughout the hub distribution center within applicable deadlines.
Assist in de-icing procedures during cold weather.

Prepare your metal handler resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your metal handler resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a metal handler resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable metal handler resume templates

Build a professional metal handler resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your metal handler resume.