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

What is a sheet metal operator 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 sheet metal operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.64 an hour? That's $45,015 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -1% and produce -1,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreSheet Metal OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,015

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.5

Growth rate -1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.84%

Asian 2.58%

Black or African American 8.51%

Hispanic or Latino 16.81%

Unknown 3.32%

White 67.93%

Gender

female 8.21%

male 91.79%

Age - 45

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 - 45

Stress level

6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a sheet metal operator

Explore sheet metal operator education requirements

Most common sheet metal operator degrees

High School Diploma

50.6 %

Associate

24.1 %

Diploma

11.4 %

Start to develop specific sheet metal operator skills

Skills	Percentages
CNC	25.21%
Punch Press	13.80%
Spot Welding	12.80%
MIG	8.19%
Stamping Presses	5.77%

Complete relevant sheet metal operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 2-4 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sheet metal operators 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 sheet metal operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sheet metal operator resumes.

Research sheet metal operator duties and 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.

Prepare your sheet metal operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sheet metal operator 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 sheet metal operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable sheet metal operator resume templates

Build a professional sheet metal operator 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 sheet metal operator resume.