How to hire sheet metal workers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems. • Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills. • 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. • Hire, train, or supervise new employees or apprentices. • Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks. • Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers. • Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary. • Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension, active listening, mathematics and speaking skills • Working knowledge of mechanical, building and construction, mathematics and design • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $29.71 an hour ($61,800 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for sheet metal workers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to 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. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to hire, train, or supervise new employees or apprentices. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What sheet metal workers do
- Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems.
- Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills.
- 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.
- Hire, train, or supervise new employees or apprentices.
- Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks.
- Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers.
- Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.
- Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for sheet metal workers
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Apprenticeship (BLS)
- Job outlook: +2.5% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 9,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay sheet metal workers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $98,550 |
| New Jersey | $92,840 |
| Illinois | $86,630 |
| Massachusetts | $82,100 |
| Connecticut | $78,750 |
| Nevada | $46,730 |
| Idaho | $46,350 |
| Arkansas | $45,820 |
See sheet metal workers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
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- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical
- Tool and Die Makers
- Carpenters
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.