Skilled Wages

Sheet metal worker salary in New York

Median $35.46 an hour for 6,570 sheet metal workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$35.46/hrMedian hourly wageNew York, May data
$73,760/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$19.39 – $60.6210th to 90th percentilehourly range
6,570Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Sheet metal worker pay in New York: the full range

Wage percentiles, New YorkMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrNew York: 10th $19.39 · 25th $24.00 · median $35.46 · 75th $46.21 · 90th $60.62New York$35.46$19.39$60.62United 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: New York vs United States, May 2025.

New York ranks 11th of 50 states for median sheet metal worker pay, and 21st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.86). 6,570 sheet metal workers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$19.39 – $24.00$40,330 – $49,920roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$24.00 – $46.21$49,920 – $96,120the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$46.21 – $60.62$96,120 – $126,090the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Sheet metal worker pay by metro in New York

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrGlens Falls: $37.61Glens Falls$37.61New York City: $36.89New York City$36.89Buffalo: $34.89Buffalo$34.89Kingston: $32.57Kingston$32.57Albany: $31.91Albany$31.91Syracuse: $30.71Syracuse$30.71Rochester: $30.63Rochester$30.63Binghamton: $30.58Binghamton$30.58Poughkeepsie: $30.37Poughkeepsie$30.37Utica: $27.16Utica$27.16
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers by metro area in New York, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Glens Falls$23.75$37.61$46.47406% above
New York City$20.00$36.89$62.346,0804% above
Buffalo$21.46$34.89$53.614402% below
Kingston$17.98$32.57$51.34508% below
Albany$22.28$31.91$51.5328010% below
Syracuse$20.30$30.71$46.8619013% below
Rochester$18.13$30.63$46.7251014% below
Binghamton$19.78$30.58$47.359014% below
Poughkeepsie$18.24$30.37$54.1517014% below
Utica$19.80$27.16$40.064023% below

Sheet metal worker wages in New York over time

New York, 1999-2025New YorkUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$35.46New York$29.71United States
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers, New York vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew York $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$17.58$33.97$14.0913,540
2000$19.33$36.14$15.319,430
2001$20.59$37.43$15.977,610
2002$23.77$42.54$16.628,040
2003$21.98$38.46$16.836,360
2004$23.75$40.48$17.096,290
2005$24.88$41.01$17.506,770
2006$26.13$41.73$17.966,210
2007$26.59$41.29$18.856,120
2008$26.88$40.19$19.375,270
2009$27.51$41.28$19.545,110
2010$22.25$32.85$20.055,180
2011$24.73$35.39$20.555,740
2012$23.27$32.63$20.815,460
2013$27.40$37.87$21.106,200
2014$28.43$38.66$21.676,800
2015$29.93$40.65$21.998,300
2016$27.84$37.34$22.578,130
2017$28.73$37.73$23.078,080
2018$29.26$37.51$23.307,350
2019$30.79$38.77$24.236,720
2020$26.30$32.72$24.706,230
2021$29.71$35.30$25.696,310
2022$30.00$33.00$26.616,110
2023$31.27$33.04$28.266,010
2024$35.32$36.25$29.266,190
2025$35.46$35.46$29.716,570

In today's dollars, the median sheet metal worker wage in New York changed by -12.8% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for sheet metal workers in New York

On federally funded construction in New York, contractors must pay sheet metal workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 50 of the 51 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $66.77 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $45.86). 1 of the 51 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Jefferson County at $45.86). The market median for the state is $35.46.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NYAlbany: $66.77 (union)Allegany: —Bronx: $114.34 (union)Broome: $56.83 (union)Cattaraugus: —Cayuga: —Chautauqua: —Chemung: $56.83 (union)Chenango: $56.83 (union)Clinton: $66.77 (union)Columbia: $66.77 (union)Cortland: —Delaware: —Dutchess: $102.72 (union)Erie: $68.68 (union)Essex: $66.77 (union)Franklin: $66.77 (union)Fulton: $66.77 (union)Genesee: —Greene: $66.77 (union)Hamilton: $66.77 (union)Herkimer: $69.60 (union)Jefferson: $45.86 (survey)Kings: $114.34 (union)Lewis: $66.77 (union)Livingston: $71.67 (union)Madison: $59.60 (union)Monroe: $71.67 (union)Montgomery: $66.77 (union)Nassau: $114.34 (union)New York: $114.34 (union)Niagara: $68.68 (union)Oneida: $69.60 (union)Onondaga: $59.60 (union)Ontario: $71.67 (union)Orange: $102.72 (union)Orleans: $68.68 (union)Oswego: $59.60 (union)Otsego: —Putnam: $102.72 (union)Queens: $114.34 (union)Rensselaer: $66.77 (union)Richmond: $114.34 (union)Rockland: $102.72 (union)St. Lawrence: $66.77 (union)Saratoga: $66.77 (union)Schenectady: $66.77 (union)Schoharie: $66.77 (union)Schuyler: $56.83 (union)Seneca: —Steuben: —Suffolk: $114.34 (union)Sullivan: $102.72 (union)Tioga: $56.83 (union)Tompkins: $56.83 (union)Ulster: $102.72 (union)Warren: $66.77 (union)Washington: $66.77 (union)Wayne: $71.67 (union)Westchester: $102.72 (union)Wyoming: —Yates: $71.67 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$66.77$69.60$102.72n/asurvey 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)$0$50$100$150/hrBronx (New York City): market median $36.89, prevailing (union) $114.34, gap +$77.45Bronx (New York City)+$77.45Dutchess (Poughkeepsie): market median $30.37, prevailing (union) $102.72, gap +$72.35Dutchess (Poughkeepsie)+$72.35Ulster (Kingston): market median $32.57, prevailing (union) $102.72, gap +$70.15Ulster (Kingston)+$70.15Herkimer (Utica): market median $27.16, prevailing (union) $69.60, gap +$42.44Herkimer (Utica)+$42.44Livingston (Rochester): market median $30.63, prevailing (union) $71.67, gap +$41.04Livingston (Rochester)+$41.04Albany (Albany): market median $31.91, prevailing (union) $66.77, gap +$34.86Albany (Albany)+$34.86Erie (Buffalo): market median $34.89, prevailing (union) $68.68, gap +$33.79Erie (Buffalo)+$33.79Warren (Glens Falls): market median $37.61, prevailing (union) $66.77, gap +$29.16Warren (Glens Falls)+$29.16Madison (Syracuse): market median $30.71, prevailing (union) $59.60, gap +$28.89Madison (Syracuse)+$28.89Broome (Binghamton): market median $30.58, prevailing (union) $56.83, gap +$26.25Broome (Binghamton)+$26.25Chemung (New York): market median $35.46, prevailing (union) $56.83, gap +$21.37Chemung (New York)+$21.37
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for sheet metal workers, metro counties in New York.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BronxUnion SHEE0028-002 2023-11-02$53.60$60.74$114.34NY20260003
KingsUnion SHEE0028-002 2023-11-02$53.60$60.74$114.34NY20260003
NassauUnion SHEE0028-002 2023-11-02$53.60$60.74$114.34NY20260012
New YorkUnion SHEE0028-002 2023-11-02$53.60$60.74$114.34NY20260003
QueensUnion SHEE0028-002 2023-11-02$53.60$60.74$114.34NY20260003
RichmondUnion SHEE0028-002 2023-11-02$53.60$60.74$114.34NY20260003
SuffolkUnion SHEE0028-002 2023-11-02$53.60$60.74$114.34NY20260012
DutchessUnion SHEE0038-001 2025-07-01$55.29$47.43$102.72NY20260007
OrangeUnion SHEE0038-001 2025-07-01$55.29$47.43$102.72NY20260007
PutnamUnion SHEE0038-001 2025-07-01$55.29$47.43$102.72NY20260025
RocklandUnion SHEE0038-001 2025-07-01$55.29$47.43$102.72NY20260020
SullivanUnion SHEE0038-001 2025-07-01$55.29$47.43$102.72NY20260007
UlsterUnion SHEE0038-001 2025-07-01$55.29$47.43$102.72NY20260007
WestchesterUnion SHEE0038-001 2025-07-01$55.29$47.43$102.72NY20260017
LivingstonUnion SHEE0046-001 2025-05-05$43.01$28.66$71.67NY20260030

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the New York prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in New York?

396.0kConstruction jobsNew York, 2026-08
-1.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k200k300k400k500k19901995200020052010201520202025396kAug 2026
Construction employment in New York (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.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
New York County3,359$107,414$2,066
Albany County1,938$103,719$1,995
Saratoga County883$98,334$1,891
Nassau County6,816$97,430$1,874
Queens County8,832$95,571$1,838
Erie County3,822$94,923$1,825
Westchester County4,006$93,445$1,797
Onondaga County2,080$93,044$1,789
Putnam County641$91,645$1,762
Bronx County2,664$91,381$1,757
Suffolk County7,881$87,720$1,687
Ulster County617$85,785$1,650

Keep comparing

Sheet metal worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New York

Questions this page answers

How much do sheet metal workers make in New York?

The median sheet metal worker in New York earned $35.46 an hour ($73,760 a year) in May 2025, 19% above the national median of $29.71. The middle half earn $24.00–$46.21; the top 10% earn more than $60.62.

Where does New York rank for sheet metal worker pay?

New York ranks 11th of 50 states for sheet metal worker pay, with a median of $35.46 an hour, and 21st after adjusting for New York's cost of living (BEA price parity 107.9, US = 100).

What is the union sheet metal worker rate in New York?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for sheet metal workers in 50 counties, with a typical package of $66.77 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many sheet metal workers work in New York?

BLS counted 6,570 sheet metal workers in New York in May 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.88; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New York and metro areas, SOC 47-2211.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.