Skilled Wages

Sheet metal worker salary in Colorado

Median $27.83 an hour for 1,660 sheet metal workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$27.83/hrMedian hourly wageColorado, May data
$57,880/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.05 – $40.1710th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,660Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Sheet metal worker pay in Colorado: the full range

Wage percentiles, ColoradoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrColorado: 10th $21.05 · 25th $22.60 · median $27.83 · 75th $33.85 · 90th $40.17Colorado$27.83$21.05$40.17United States: 10th $18.57 · 25th $22.99 · median $29.71 · 75th $39.24 · 90th $50.79United States$29.71
Hourly wage percentiles for sheet metal workers: Colorado vs United States, May 2025.

Colorado ranks 35th of 50 states for median sheet metal worker pay, and 39th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.99). 1,660 sheet metal workers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$21.05 – $22.60$43,780 – $47,010roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$22.60 – $33.85$47,010 – $70,400the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$33.85 – $40.17$70,400 – $83,550the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Sheet metal worker pay by metro in Colorado

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrDenver: $29.63Denver$29.63Boulder: $26.75Boulder$26.75Fort Collins: $25.31Fort Collins$25.31Greeley: $24.05Greeley$24.05Grand Junction: $23.56Grand Junction$23.56Pueblo: $23.54Pueblo$23.54Colorado Springs: $22.86Colorado Springs$22.86
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers by metro area in Colorado, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Denver$22.13$29.63$28.01$40.658806% above
Boulder$19.20$26.75$25.43$41.06604% below
Fort Collins$16.87$25.31$25.03$38.36809% below
Greeley$19.59$24.05$24.00$36.0212014% below
Grand Junction$18.72$23.56$24.67$37.209015% below
Pueblo$18.39$23.54$25.64$37.196015% below
Colorado Springs$18.46$22.86$22.70$36.7018018% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Sheet metal worker wages in Colorado over time

Colorado, 1999-2025ColoradoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.71United States$27.83Colorado
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers, Colorado vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearColorado $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$15.10$29.18$14.094,440
2000$15.67$29.30$15.313,200
2001$16.16$29.38$15.972,890
2002$16.88$30.21$16.623,880
2003$15.75$27.56$16.833,520
2004$15.19$25.89$17.093,830
2005$15.08$24.86$17.504,030
2006$16.07$25.66$17.963,620
2007$17.78$27.61$18.852,890
2008$18.91$28.28$19.372,730
2009$18.68$28.03$19.542,520
2010$19.65$29.01$20.052,320
2011$21.57$30.87$20.552,080
2012$22.00$30.85$20.812,080
2013$20.83$28.79$21.102,400
2014$20.20$27.47$21.673,050
2015$20.93$28.43$21.993,460
2016$21.31$28.59$22.573,310
2017$22.02$28.92$23.073,290
2018$21.21$27.19$23.302,870
2019$23.28$29.32$24.232,340
2020$23.60$29.36$24.701,910
2021$23.29$27.67$25.691,900
2022$23.99$26.39$26.612,190
2023$26.17$27.65$28.262,070
2024$27.82$28.55$29.261,620
2025$27.83$27.83$29.711,660

In today's dollars, the median sheet metal worker wage in Colorado changed by -2.1% over the last ten years of data and by -5.1% since 2019.

Are there more sheet metal worker jobs in Colorado?

0.6Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.8× the US share, 42nd of 50 states

BLS counted 1,660 sheet metal workers in Colorado in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 16%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for sheet metal workers in Colorado

+16.7%Projected growth in Colorado2024–2034, state agency
180Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
1,660Jobs in 20241,930 projected for 2034
+2.5%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Colorado's labor market agency projects the number of sheet metal workers in the state to change by +16.7% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,660 to 1,930, with about 180 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 1,660 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Colorado labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for sheet metal workers in Colorado

On federally funded construction in Colorado, contractors must pay sheet metal workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 64 of the 64 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $65.70 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $27.83.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, COAdams: $65.70 (union)Alamosa: $65.70 (union)Arapahoe: $65.70 (union)Archuleta: $65.70 (union)Baca: $65.70 (union)Bent: $65.70 (union)Boulder: $65.70 (union)Broomfield: $65.70 (union)Chaffee: $65.70 (union)Cheyenne: $65.70 (union)Clear Creek: $65.70 (union)Conejos: $65.70 (union)Costilla: $65.70 (union)Crowley: $65.70 (union)Custer: $65.70 (union)Delta: $65.70 (union)Denver: $65.70 (union)Dolores: $65.70 (union)Douglas: $65.70 (union)Eagle: $65.70 (union)Elbert: $65.70 (union)El Paso: $65.70 (union)Fremont: $65.70 (union)Garfield: $65.70 (union)Gilpin: $65.70 (union)Grand: $65.70 (union)Gunnison: $65.70 (union)Hinsdale: $65.70 (union)Huerfano: $65.70 (union)Jackson: $65.70 (union)Jefferson: $65.70 (union)Kiowa: $65.70 (union)Kit Carson: $65.70 (union)Lake: $65.70 (union)La Plata: $65.70 (union)Larimer: $65.70 (union)Las Animas: $65.70 (union)Lincoln: $65.70 (union)Logan: $65.70 (union)Mesa: $65.70 (union)Mineral: $65.70 (union)Moffat: $65.70 (union)Montezuma: $65.70 (union)Montrose: $65.70 (union)Morgan: $65.70 (union)Otero: $65.70 (union)Ouray: $65.70 (union)Park: $65.70 (union)Phillips: $65.70 (union)Pitkin: $65.70 (union)Prowers: $65.70 (union)Pueblo: $65.70 (union)Rio Blanco: $65.70 (union)Rio Grande: $65.70 (union)Routt: $65.70 (union)Saguache: $65.70 (union)San Juan: $65.70 (union)San Miguel: $65.70 (union)Sedgwick: $65.70 (union)Summit: $65.70 (union)Teller: $65.70 (union)Washington: $65.70 (union)Weld: $65.70 (union)Yuma: $65.70 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for sheet metal workers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$0$20$40$60$80/hrEl Paso (Colorado Springs): market median $22.86, prevailing (union) $65.70, gap +$42.84El Paso (Colorado Springs)+$42.84Pueblo (Pueblo): market median $23.54, prevailing (union) $65.70, gap +$42.16Pueblo (Pueblo)+$42.16Mesa (Grand Junction): market median $23.56, prevailing (union) $65.70, gap +$42.14Mesa (Grand Junction)+$42.14Weld (Greeley): market median $24.05, prevailing (union) $65.70, gap +$41.65Weld (Greeley)+$41.65Larimer (Fort Collins): market median $25.31, prevailing (union) $65.70, gap +$40.39Larimer (Fort Collins)+$40.39Boulder (Boulder): market median $26.75, prevailing (union) $65.70, gap +$38.95Boulder (Boulder)+$38.95Adams (Denver): market median $29.63, prevailing (union) $65.70, gap +$36.07Adams (Denver)+$36.07
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for sheet metal workers, metro counties in Colorado.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AdamsUnion SHEE0009-004 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260015
AlamosaUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001
ArapahoeUnion SHEE0009-004 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260016
ArchuletaUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001
BacaUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001
BentUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001
BoulderUnion SHEE0009-004 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260017
BroomfieldUnion SHEE0009-004 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260018
ChaffeeUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001
CheyenneUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001
Clear CreekUnion SHEE0009-004 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260019
ConejosUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001
CostillaUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001
CrowleyUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001
CusterUnion SHEE0009-001 2025-07-01$43.05$22.65$65.70CO20260001

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Colorado prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Colorado?

193.6kConstruction jobsColorado, 2026-09
+3.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k250k19901995200020052010201520202025194kSep 2026
Construction employment in Colorado (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just sheet metal workers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 48 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 96,806 in 2015 to 118,768 in 2025, +22.7%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Denver County1863,822$96,160$1,849
Adams County2804,433$91,222$1,754
Jefferson County3052,896$89,541$1,722
Eagle County78693$87,820$1,689
Arapahoe County2613,020$86,895$1,671
Boulder County911,046$85,478$1,644
Gilpin County310$84,381$1,623
Archuleta County12136$83,473$1,605
Larimer County2012,702$80,576$1,550
Douglas County142998$79,351$1,526
Summit County40193$78,598$1,512
San Miguel County880$76,335$1,468

Keep comparing

Sheet metal worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Colorado

More on Colorado

Questions this page answers

How much do sheet metal workers make in Colorado?

The median sheet metal worker in Colorado earned $27.83 an hour ($57,880 a year) in May 2025, 6% below the national median of $29.71. The middle half earn $22.60–$33.85; the top 10% earn more than $40.17.

Where does Colorado rank for sheet metal worker pay?

Colorado ranks 35th of 50 states for sheet metal worker pay, with a median of $27.83 an hour, and 39th after adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.1, US = 100).

What is the union sheet metal worker rate in Colorado?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for sheet metal workers in 64 counties, with a typical package of $65.70 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many sheet metal workers work in Colorado?

BLS counted 1,660 sheet metal workers in Colorado in May 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.75; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is sheet metal worker work growing in Colorado?

Colorado's labor market agency projects +16.7% growth for sheet metal workers between 2024 and 2034, from 1,660 to 1,930 jobs.

How many sheet metal worker openings a year are there in Colorado?

Colorado projects about 180 openings a year for sheet metal workers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 9,800 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Colorado and metro areas, SOC 47-2211. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Colorado labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.