Pay by state · 52 areas
Sheet Metal Worker Salary by State (2026)
Sheet Metal Workers earn the most in Washington at $98,550 a year and the least in Arkansas at $45,820 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $61,800. The table below covers all 50 states, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $98,550Washington
- National median
- $61,800BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $45,820Arkansas
- Areas reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for sheet metal workers
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states. After cost of living, Alaska comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Washington$98,550
- 2Hawaii$96,350
- 3Alaska$94,600
- 4New Jersey$92,840
- 5Illinois$86,630
Lowest median pay
- 1Arkansas$45,820
- 2Idaho$46,350
- 3Nevada$46,730
- 4Alabama$47,530
- 5South Dakota$47,800
All states
Sheet Metal Worker salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of sheet metal workers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $98,550 | $72,220 | $134,590 | 3,440 | $92,092 |
| 2 | HIHawaii | $96,350 | $77,790 | $105,460 | 490 | $87,630 |
| 3 | AKAlaska | $94,600 | $57,690 | $103,520 | 240 | $92,420 |
| 4 | NJNew Jersey | $92,840 | $58,390 | $119,870 | 2,790 | $85,327 |
| 5 | ILIllinois | $86,630 | $59,400 | $105,330 | 3,260 | $86,666 |
| 6 | MAMassachusetts | $82,100 | $52,760 | $92,630 | 2,890 | $77,631 |
| 7 | CTConnecticut | $78,750 | $57,860 | $92,620 | 1,480 | $76,006 |
| 8 | WIWisconsin | $77,760 | $50,350 | $97,320 | 3,180 | $82,640 |
| 9 | CACalifornia | $76,590 | $59,220 | $107,360 | 8,390 | $69,174 |
| 10 | OHOhio | $74,790 | $49,680 | $82,750 | 4,180 | $80,615 |
| 11 | NYNew York | $73,760 | $49,920 | $96,120 | 6,570 | $68,346 |
| 12 | OROregon | $73,750 | $58,410 | $108,920 | 3,250 | $71,352 |
| 13 | MNMinnesota | $72,970 | $51,570 | $106,870 | 2,980 | $73,990 |
| 14 | WVWest Virginia | $72,390 | $46,910 | $74,410 | 540 | $80,885 |
| 15 | IAIowa | $66,460 | $49,470 | $76,080 | 1,650 | $75,728 |
| 16 | OKOklahoma | $65,640 | $55,000 | $70,640 | 2,820 | $74,724 |
| 17 | NDNorth Dakota | $65,180 | $48,900 | $80,940 | 290 | $73,270 |
| 18 | RIRhode Island | $65,100 | $52,080 | $81,980 | 370 | $63,649 |
| 19 | MIMichigan | $64,490 | $48,680 | $86,690 | 4,000 | $67,026 |
| 20 | NENebraska | $64,440 | $46,030 | $88,310 | 440 | $71,518 |
| 21 | INIndiana | $64,040 | $48,820 | $91,130 | 4,580 | $68,617 |
| 22 | MOMissouri | $63,560 | $47,500 | $98,090 | 2,640 | $69,987 |
| 23 | UTUtah | $63,140 | $49,510 | $76,300 | 1,810 | $63,866 |
| 24 | KSKansas | $62,670 | $43,370 | $86,680 | 1,730 | $69,581 |
| 25 | MDMaryland | $62,560 | $51,110 | $75,310 | 1,940 | $59,604 |
| 26 | MEMaine | $62,120 | $54,180 | $66,070 | 830 | $64,008 |
| 27 | DEDelaware | $61,460 | $43,270 | $80,390 | 440 | $61,578 |
| 28 | MTMontana | $61,420 | $51,540 | $78,970 | 410 | $64,895 |
| 29 | PAPennsylvania | $61,400 | $50,650 | $87,610 | 3,260 | $62,928 |
| 30 | KYKentucky | $60,680 | $48,350 | $82,550 | 2,210 | $67,303 |
| 31 | NHNew Hampshire | $59,800 | $46,300 | $70,840 | 760 | $57,409 |
| 32 | TNTennessee | $59,170 | $45,230 | $73,640 | 1,850 | $64,406 |
| 33 | WYWyoming | $58,740 | $52,640 | $71,750 | 160 | $63,372 |
| 34 | VTVermont | $58,250 | $48,630 | $66,610 | 370 | $59,464 |
| 35 | COColorado | $57,880 | $47,010 | $70,400 | 1,660 | $56,166 |
| 36 | GAGeorgia | $56,800 | $46,240 | $70,640 | 3,590 | $58,987 |
| 37 | NMNew Mexico | $56,720 | $41,600 | $79,140 | 640 | $61,510 |
| 38 | TXTexas | $54,240 | $44,950 | $63,450 | 9,540 | $55,885 |
| 39 | VAVirginia | $52,220 | $44,620 | $63,390 | 4,520 | $51,650 |
| 40 | NCNorth Carolina | $50,730 | $45,500 | $61,490 | 2,780 | $53,782 |
| 41 | LALouisiana | $50,320 | $37,150 | $61,250 | 1,080 | $57,048 |
| 42 | AZArizona | $50,260 | $37,840 | $68,940 | 3,060 | $49,922 |
| 43 | SCSouth Carolina | $49,920 | $38,450 | $63,550 | 1,710 | $53,249 |
| 44 | FLFlorida | $49,640 | $40,790 | $60,050 | 8,040 | $48,001 |
| 45 | MSMississippi | $49,500 | $39,070 | $62,650 | 1,260 | $56,927 |
| 46 | SDSouth Dakota | $47,800 | $42,580 | $60,330 | 320 | $53,959 |
| 47 | ALAlabama | $47,530 | $42,290 | $58,670 | 1,450 | $53,511 |
| 48 | NVNevada | $46,730 | $39,150 | $83,340 | 1,270 | $46,740 |
| 49 | IDIdaho | $46,350 | $37,620 | $75,380 | 1,290 | $48,537 |
| 50 | ARArkansas | $45,820 | $38,440 | $48,260 | 1,230 | $52,705 |
| 51 | GUGuam | $37,770 | $37,740 | $40,530 | 140 | N/A |
| 52 | PRPuerto Rico | $28,340 | $23,950 | $29,510 | 210 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For sheet metal workers, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $98,550, while Alaska leads once prices are taken into account at $92,420.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Sheet Metal Worker pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays sheet metal workers the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for sheet metal workers at $98,550 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Hawaii ($96,350) and Alaska ($94,600).
Which state pays sheet metal workers the least?
Among the 50 states, Arkansas reports the lowest median for sheet metal workers at $45,820 a year, $52,730 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $37,770 and Puerto Rico reports $28,340.
Is the highest-paying state the best for sheet metal workers after cost of living?
Not on this data. Washington pays the most on paper ($98,550) but ranks 2nd of 50 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($92,092). Alaska leads after that adjustment at $92,420, from a raw median of $94,600. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.