Skilled Wages

Sheet metal worker salary in Kentucky

Median $29.17 an hour for 2,210 sheet metal workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$29.17/hrMedian hourly wageKentucky, May data
$60,680/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$19.51 – $41.0110th to 90th percentilehourly range
2,210Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Sheet metal worker pay in Kentucky: the full range

Wage percentiles, KentuckyMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrKentucky: 10th $19.51 · 25th $23.25 · median $29.17 · 75th $39.69 · 90th $41.01Kentucky$29.17$19.51$41.01United 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: Kentucky vs United States, May 2025.

Kentucky ranks 30th of 50 states for median sheet metal worker pay, and 22nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.34). 2,210 sheet metal workers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.1× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$19.51 – $23.25$40,570 – $48,350roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$23.25 – $39.69$48,350 – $82,550the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$39.69 – $41.01$82,550 – $85,310the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Sheet metal worker pay by metro in Kentucky

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrPaducah: $37.99Paducah$37.99Huntington: $35.56Huntington$35.56Cincinnati: $35.43Cincinnati$35.43Louisville: $29.33Louisville$29.33Bowling Green: $23.37Bowling Green$23.37Clarksville: $21.55Clarksville$21.55
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers by metro area in Kentucky, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Paducah$18.57$37.99$44.12$41.177030% above
Huntington$17.91$35.56$40.23$35.9113022% above
Cincinnati$19.89$35.43$37.14$46.4291021% above
Louisville$22.13$29.33$31.50$44.479701% above
Bowling Green$14.21$23.37$25.91$41.407020% below
Clarksville$17.14$21.55$23.71$37.445026% below

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

Sheet metal worker wages in Kentucky over time

Kentucky, 1999-2025KentuckyUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.71United States$29.17Kentucky
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers, Kentucky vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearKentucky $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$13.03$25.18$14.093,670
2000$12.59$23.54$15.313,430
2001$13.36$24.29$15.972,990
2002$13.79$24.68$16.623,350
2003$14.58$25.51$16.832,540
2004$16.05$27.35$17.091,910
2005$14.56$24.00$17.501,870
2006$14.44$23.06$17.961,920
2007$15.28$23.73$18.851,780
2008$16.84$25.18$19.371,390
2009$19.25$28.89$19.541,100
2010$18.28$26.99$20.05760
2011$19.72$28.22$20.551,000
2012$19.08$26.75$20.811,310
2013$19.13$26.44$21.101,420
2014$18.34$24.94$21.671,440
2015$19.08$25.92$21.991,600
2016$20.69$27.75$22.571,540
2017$20.65$27.12$23.071,300
2018$19.38$24.85$23.301,040
2019$21.71$27.34$24.231,030
2020$21.67$26.96$24.701,070
2021$22.42$26.64$25.691,200
2022$21.97$24.17$26.61940
2023$22.96$24.26$28.26880
2024$23.61$24.23$29.26890
2025$29.17$29.17$29.712,210

In today's dollars, the median sheet metal worker wage in Kentucky changed by +12.6% over the last ten years of data and by +6.7% since 2019.

Are there more sheet metal worker jobs in Kentucky?

1.1Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.4× the US share, 8th of 50 states

BLS counted 2,210 sheet metal workers in Kentucky in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 14%. 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 Kentucky

+4.9%Projected growth in Kentucky2024–2034, state agency
80Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
950Jobs in 2024990 projected for 2034
+2.5%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Kentucky's labor market agency projects the number of sheet metal workers in the state to change by +4.9% between 2024 and 2034, from 950 to 990, with about 80 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 2,210 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Kentucky 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 Kentucky

On federally funded construction in Kentucky, contractors must pay sheet metal workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 118 of the 120 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $65.98 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $43.13). 2 of the 120 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Christian County at $43.13). The market median for the state is $29.17.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, KYAdair: $65.98 (union)Allen: $65.98 (union)Anderson: $65.98 (union)Ballard: $65.98 (union)Barren: $65.98 (union)Bath: $65.98 (union)Bell: $65.98 (union)Boone: $60.24 (union)Bourbon: $60.24 (union)Boyd: $60.24 (union)Boyle: $65.98 (union)Bracken: $60.24 (union)Breathitt: $65.98 (union)Breckinridge: $65.98 (union)Bullitt: $65.98 (union)Butler: $65.98 (union)Caldwell: $65.98 (union)Calloway: $65.98 (union)Campbell: $60.24 (union)Carlisle: $65.98 (union)Carroll: $65.98 (union)Carter: $65.98 (union)Casey: $65.98 (union)Christian: $43.13 (survey)Clark: $60.24 (union)Clay: $65.98 (union)Clinton: $65.98 (union)Crittenden: $65.98 (union)Cumberland: $65.98 (union)Daviess: $65.98 (union)Edmonson: $65.98 (union)Elliott: $65.98 (union)Estill: $65.98 (union)Fayette: $60.24 (union)Fleming: $65.98 (union)Floyd: $65.98 (union)Franklin: $65.98 (union)Fulton: $65.98 (union)Gallatin: $60.24 (union)Garrard: $65.98 (union)Grant: $60.24 (union)Graves: $65.98 (union)Grayson: $65.98 (union)Green: $65.98 (union)Greenup: $60.24 (union)Hancock: $65.98 (union)Hardin: $65.98 (union)Harlan: $65.98 (union)Harrison: $65.98 (union)Hart: $65.98 (union)Henderson: $65.98 (union)Henry: $65.98 (union)Hickman: $65.98 (union)Hopkins: $65.98 (union)Jackson: $65.98 (union)Jefferson: $65.98 (union)Jessamine: $60.24 (union)Johnson: $65.98 (union)Kenton: $60.24 (union)Knott: $65.98 (union)Knox: $65.98 (union)Larue: $65.98 (union)Laurel: $65.98 (union)Lawrence: $65.98 (union)Lee: $65.98 (union)Leslie: $65.98 (union)Letcher: $65.98 (union)Lewis: $65.98 (union)Lincoln: $65.98 (union)Livingston: $65.98 (union)Logan: $65.98 (union)Lyon: $65.98 (union)McCracken: $65.98 (union)McCreary: $65.98 (union)McLean: $65.98 (union)Madison: $65.98 (union)Magoffin: $65.98 (union)Marion: $65.98 (union)Marshall: $65.98 (union)Martin: $65.98 (union)Mason: $65.98 (union)Meade: $65.98 (union)Menifee: $65.98 (union)Mercer: $65.98 (union)Metcalfe: $65.98 (union)Monroe: $65.98 (union)Montgomery: $65.98 (union)Morgan: $65.98 (union)Muhlenberg: $65.98 (union)Nelson: $65.98 (union)Nicholas: $65.98 (union)Ohio: $65.98 (union)Oldham: $65.98 (union)Owen: $65.98 (union)Owsley: $65.98 (union)Pendleton: $60.24 (union)Perry: $65.98 (union)Pike: $65.98 (union)Powell: $65.98 (union)Pulaski: $65.98 (union)Robertson: $65.98 (union)Rockcastle: $65.98 (union)Rowan: $65.98 (union)Russell: $65.98 (union)Scott: $60.24 (union)Shelby: $65.98 (union)Simpson: $65.98 (union)Spencer: $65.98 (union)Taylor: $65.98 (union)Todd: $65.98 (union)Trigg: $43.13 (survey)Trimble: $65.98 (union)Union: $65.98 (union)Warren: $65.98 (union)Washington: $65.98 (union)Wayne: $65.98 (union)Webster: $65.98 (union)Whitley: $65.98 (union)Wolfe: $65.98 (union)Woodford: $60.24 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hrsurvey rate
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)Prevailing (survey)$0$20$40$60$80/hrAllen (Bowling Green): market median $23.37, prevailing (union) $65.98, gap +$42.61Allen (Bowling Green)+$42.61Daviess (Kentucky): market median $29.17, prevailing (union) $65.98, gap +$36.81Daviess (Kentucky)+$36.81Bullitt (Louisville): market median $29.33, prevailing (union) $65.98, gap +$36.65Bullitt (Louisville)+$36.65Carter (Huntington): market median $35.56, prevailing (union) $65.98, gap +$30.42Carter (Huntington)+$30.42Ballard (Paducah): market median $37.99, prevailing (union) $65.98, gap +$27.99Ballard (Paducah)+$27.99Boone (Cincinnati): market median $35.43, prevailing (union) $60.24, gap +$24.81Boone (Cincinnati)+$24.81Christian (Clarksville): market median $21.55, prevailing (survey) $43.13, gap +$21.58Christian (Clarksville)+$21.58
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for sheet metal workers, metro counties in Kentucky.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AdairUnion SHEE0110-006 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260037
AllenUnion SHEE0110-006 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260099
AndersonUnion SHEE0110-006 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260018
BallardUnion SHEE0110-005 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260041
BarrenUnion SHEE0110-006 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260042
BathUnion SHEE0110-006 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260018
BellUnion SHEE0110-006 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260019
BoyleUnion SHEE0110-006 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260018
BreathittUnion SHEE0110-006 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260043
BreckinridgeUnion SHEE0110-005 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260041
BullittUnion SHEE0110-005 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260087
ButlerUnion SHEE0110-006 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260099
CaldwellUnion SHEE0110-005 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260041
CallowayUnion SHEE0110-005 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260020
CarlisleUnion SHEE0110-005 2025-06-01$40.32$25.66$65.98KY20260041

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

Is construction work growing in Kentucky?

95.6kConstruction jobsKentucky, 2026-09
+0.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202640k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202596kSep 2026
Construction employment in Kentucky (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 92 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 43,567 in 2015 to 56,410 in 2025, +29.5%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Jefferson County2875,535$85,747$1,649
Hardin County43560$83,483$1,605
Fayette County1332,213$79,961$1,538
Mason County9257$79,749$1,534
Henderson County18186$78,774$1,515
Meade County13213$78,197$1,504
Campbell County43360$77,416$1,489
McCracken County40684$75,366$1,449
Kenton County61587$73,926$1,422
Harrison County59$73,869$1,421
Scott County21176$73,598$1,415
Larue County982$73,473$1,413

Keep comparing

Sheet metal worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Kentucky

More on Kentucky

Questions this page answers

How much do sheet metal workers make in Kentucky?

The median sheet metal worker in Kentucky earned $29.17 an hour ($60,680 a year) in May 2025, 2% below the national median of $29.71. The middle half earn $23.25–$39.69; the top 10% earn more than $41.01.

Where does Kentucky rank for sheet metal worker pay?

Kentucky ranks 30th of 50 states for sheet metal worker pay, with a median of $29.17 an hour, and 22nd after adjusting for Kentucky's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.2, US = 100).

What is the union sheet metal worker rate in Kentucky?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for sheet metal workers in 118 counties, with a typical package of $65.98 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many sheet metal workers work in Kentucky?

BLS counted 2,210 sheet metal workers in Kentucky in May 2025, 1.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.44; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is sheet metal worker work growing in Kentucky?

Kentucky's labor market agency projects +4.9% growth for sheet metal workers between 2024 and 2034, from 950 to 990 jobs.

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

Kentucky projects about 80 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, Kentucky 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: Kentucky labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.