How much do sheet metal workers make in New Jersey in 2026?

Sheet metal workers in New Jersey earn a median of $92,840 a year, which works out to roughly $44.63 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That puts New Jersey well above the national average for this trade, reflecting the state's dense concentration of commercial construction, HVAC work, and industrial fabrication across the northern corridor and along the shore.

The bottom quarter of earners — the 25th percentile — pulls in $58,390 a year, or about $28.07 an hour. Workers at this level are typically early in their careers: first- or second-year apprentices, helpers, or sheet metal hands who haven't yet built a specialty. At the top end, the 75th percentile hits $119,870 annually, which is around $57.63 an hour. Workers at that level usually have years of field experience, may run jobs or crews, and often hold skills in precision fabrication, architectural sheet metal, or complex HVAC systems.

The spread from the 25th to the 75th percentile is $61,480 a year — a wide gap that tells you experience and specialization matter enormously in this trade. Moving from entry-level wages to the top tier isn't just about time served. It depends on which sectors you work in, what certifications you carry, and whether you're doing straight duct installation or higher-skill work like custom architectural panels, kitchen exhaust systems, or industrial ventilation.

New Jersey's geography pushes pay higher in the northern counties closest to New York City. Contractors working out of Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Union counties routinely bid on large commercial and institutional projects where the work is technical and the hours are long. Workers based in those markets tend to land closer to the median or above it. The southern part of the state — Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland — has less volume and more competition, which can keep wages closer to the 25th percentile, particularly outside peak construction seasons.

Overtime is a real factor for sheet metal workers. New construction and renovation projects often run compressed schedules, and skilled hands can add 10 to 20 hours a week of overtime pay during busy stretches. For a worker earning $44.63 an hour straight time, overtime hours at 1.5x rate come in at $66.95 an hour. Consistent overtime can push a median earner's actual annual take-home well above the $92,840 baseline — though overtime availability fluctuates with project pipelines and economic conditions, and the BLS figures don't capture those premium hours.

Apprenticeship is the standard entry path. A typical sheet metal apprenticeship runs four to five years and combines on-the-job training with classroom instruction covering blueprint reading, CAD layout, fabrication techniques, and HVAC principles. Apprentices start at a percentage of journeyworker scale and receive raises at regular intervals as they advance. By the time a worker completes an apprenticeship and passes their journeyworker evaluation, they're generally positioned near or above the median wage.

To push pay toward the 75th percentile and beyond, the most direct routes are building fabrication skills, learning to read and work from CAD drawings, picking up certification in areas like balancing and testing (TAB work), or moving into foreman and general foreman roles. Project management experience and the ability to estimate sheet metal takeoffs also open doors to higher-paying positions outside of pure field work.

Some workers in New Jersey may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. BLS data represents straight-time wages and does not include overtime, per diem, benefits, or employer contributions to retirement and health plans, so total compensation for many workers is higher than the reported wage figures alone.