Production

Aerospace Sheet Metal Workers

SOC 51-4192

Fabricate and assemble aircraft sheet metal parts to tight tolerances.

The job

Median pay

$64k

$51k to $79k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Declining

-3.4% projected

Openings a year

500

BLS projection

Typical education

High school plus training

Our model

AI displacement risk

Low

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

6/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

1st pct

More exposed than 1% of occupations · modeled estimate · 21st pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

45/100

Take the next step

Weigh it against Aircraft Structure AssemblersPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostHawaii leads at $88k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Aerospace Sheet Metal Workers and explore its neighbours See open jobsAerospace Sheet Metal Workers roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Aerospace Sheet Metal Workers, who lean most on mathematics Real pay & reviewsWhat Aerospace Sheet Metal Workers say they actually earn

Key skills

Mathematics
Reading Comprehension
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Active Listening
Speaking

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Virginia	1,080	0.3	6.8×	$70k
Kansas	610	0.4	11.1×	$79k
Washington	500	0.1	3.7×	$85k
California	480	0.0	0.7×	$74k
Ohio	315	0.1	1.5×	$64k~
Illinois	287	0.0	1.2×	$64k~
Indiana	246	0.1	2.0×	$64k~
North Carolina	222	0.0	1.2×	$60k~
Florida	200	0.0	0.5×	$58k
Alabama	190	0.1	2.3×	$38k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Texas	190	0.0	0.3×	$48k
Maine	180	0.3	7.3×	$75k
Michigan	160	0.0	0.9×	$62k
Pennsylvania	150	0.0	0.6×	$59k
Wisconsin	150	0.1	1.3×	$61k
Hawaii	140	0.2	5.8×	$88k
Minnesota	140	0.0	1.2×	$67k~
Missouri	135	0.0	1.2×	$65k~
Kentucky	126	0.1	1.6×	$65k~
New Jersey	120	0.0	0.7×	$63k~
Iowa	99	0.1	1.6×	$66k~
Massachusetts	90	0.0	0.6×	$64k
Arizona	89	0.0	0.7×	$64k~
Arkansas	81	0.1	1.6×	$56k~
Georgia	80	0.0	0.4×	$53k
Oregon	75	0.0	1.0×	$75k~
Utah	72	0.0	1.1×	$63k~
Louisiana	71	0.0	1.0×	$68k~
New York	70	0.0	0.2×	$63k
Oklahoma	70	0.0	1.1×	$62k~
Mississippi	68	0.1	1.5×	$56k~
Colorado	66	0.0	0.6×	$68k~
New Mexico	60	0.1	1.8×	$39k
Connecticut	58	0.0	0.9×	$67k~
Nebraska	51	0.0	1.3×	$65k~
Maryland	47	0.0	0.4×	$65k~
South Carolina	40	0.0	0.5×	$42k
Tennessee	40	0.0	0.3×	$43k
Nevada	39	0.0	0.7×	$64k~
Idaho	35	0.0	1.1×	$64k~
New Hampshire	27	0.0	1.0×	$67k~
West Virginia	24	0.0	0.9×	$63k~
South Dakota	22	0.0	1.3×	$63k~
Rhode Island	19	0.0	1.0×	$67k~
North Dakota	17	0.0	1.0×	$69k~
Delaware	13	0.0	0.7×	$54k~
Montana	12	0.0	0.6×	$66k~
Vermont	11	0.0	0.9×	$67k~
Wyoming	9	0.0	0.8×	$81k~
Alaska	6	0.0	0.5×	$74k~
Washington DC	3	0.0	0.1×	$81k~

Top metro areas

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC770 jobs · $68k median
Wichita, KS590 jobs · $79k median
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA440 jobs · $80k median
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA250 jobs · $74k median
Urban Honolulu, HI140 jobs · $88k median
Birmingham, AL90 jobs · $29k median
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI80 jobs · $62k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA80 jobs · $69k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.