Post job

Metal technician vs sheet metal operator

The differences between metal technicians and sheet metal operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a sheet metal operator has an average salary of $45,015, which is higher than the $35,641 average annual salary of a metal technician.

The top three skills for a metal technician include hand tools, CNC and engineering drawings. The most important skills for a sheet metal operator are CNC, punch press, and spot welding.

Metal technician vs sheet metal operator overview

Metal TechnicianSheet Metal Operator
Yearly salary$35,641$45,015
Hourly rate$17.14$21.64
Growth rate-1%-1%
Number of jobs66,83843,197
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 51%
Average age4545
Years of experience--

Metal technician vs sheet metal operator salary

Metal technicians and sheet metal operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Metal TechnicianSheet Metal Operator
Average salary$35,641$45,015
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $45,000Between $32,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between metal technician and sheet metal operator education

There are a few differences between a metal technician and a sheet metal operator in terms of educational background:

Metal TechnicianSheet Metal Operator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%High School Diploma, 51%
Most common majorPrecision Metal WorkingBusiness
Most common college--

Metal technician vs sheet metal operator demographics

Here are the differences between metal technicians' and sheet metal operators' demographics:

Metal TechnicianSheet Metal Operator
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 86.4% Female, 13.6%Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.2% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 2.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between metal technician and sheet metal operator duties and responsibilities

Metal technician example responsibilities.

  • Team invest to achieve goal; CNC programme and fabricate nacelle center beam splice.
  • Repair multiple flight line ladders; replace and weld damaged areas.
  • Operate oxy acetylene torches for soldering, silver soldering, brazing, cutting and welding.
  • Operate overhead crane magnet, pneumatic hammers, furnace, scales, mig welder, acetylene torch.
  • Provide remelting/metal crafting services, including aluminum, magnesium and zinc.
  • Compose written reports of data collect from patient evaluation and present to department chief for thorough analysis of patient diagnosis.
  • Show more

Sheet metal operator example responsibilities.

  • Manage large-scale industrial and commercial HVAC installation and service projects.
  • Create & run complex bend setup & forming operations.
  • Measure and then run sheets of metal into a machine that cut it into the exact measurement.
  • Perform fabrication and installation of copper and aluminum gutters for large-scale buildings.
  • Fire caulking, trim returns to fit above ceiling, install exhaust for bathrooms in each apartment.

Metal technician vs sheet metal operator skills

Common metal technician skills
  • Hand Tools, 16%
  • CNC, 12%
  • Engineering Drawings, 8%
  • Ladders, 8%
  • Aluminum, 7%
  • Grinders, 6%
Common sheet metal operator skills
  • CNC, 25%
  • Punch Press, 14%
  • Spot Welding, 13%
  • MIG, 8%
  • Stamping Presses, 6%
  • Stainless Steel, 6%

Browse construction and extraction jobs