Sheet Metal Workers

Also Called:

HVAC Sheet Metal Installer (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Installer),

Sheet Metal Fabricator,

Sheet Metal Mechanic,

Sheet Metal Worker

What they do: Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; or inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces. Includes sheet metal duct installers who install prefabricated sheet metal ducts used for heating, air conditioning, or other purposes.

What do they typically do on the job?

  • Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.
  • Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems.
  • 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.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

Knowledge

People who want to pursue this career have knowledge in these areas.

Engineering and Technology
  • Mechanical

  • Building and construction

Math and Science
  • Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Arts and Humanities
  • English language

Business
  • Management

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Hand and Finger Use
  • Hold or move items with your hands

  • Keep your arm or hand steady

Controlled Movement
  • Use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down

  • Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat

Attention
  • Pay attention to something without being distracted

Math
  • Add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements

  • Reading work related information

Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Work Values

Work values describe how your core beliefs align with those commonly needed for this career.

Support

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Independence

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Relationships

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research
  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop