Skilled Wages

Sheet metal worker salary in North Carolina

Median $24.39 an hour for 2,780 sheet metal workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$24.39/hrMedian hourly wageNorth Carolina, May data
$50,730/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.93 – $37.5110th to 90th percentilehourly range
2,780Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Sheet metal worker pay in North Carolina: the full range

Wage percentiles, North CarolinaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNorth Carolina: 10th $17.93 · 25th $21.87 · median $24.39 · 75th $29.56 · 90th $37.51North Carolina$24.39$17.93$37.51United 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: North Carolina vs United States, May 2025.

North Carolina ranks 40th of 50 states for median sheet metal worker pay, and 42nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $25.86). 2,780 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$17.93 – $21.87$37,280 – $45,500roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$21.87 – $29.56$45,500 – $61,490the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$29.56 – $37.51$61,490 – $78,020the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Sheet metal worker pay by metro in North Carolina

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrVirginia Beach: $30.48Virginia Beach$30.48Greensboro: $26.85Greensboro$26.85Asheville: $24.90Asheville$24.90Charlotte: $24.46Charlotte$24.46Jacksonville: $24.36Jacksonville$24.36Raleigh: $24.31Raleigh$24.31Wilmington: $22.78Wilmington$22.78Winston-Salem: $22.64Winston-Salem$22.64Burlington: $22.61Burlington$22.61Hickory: $22.50Hickory$22.50Durham: $22.23Durham$22.23Fayetteville: $22.12Fayetteville$22.12
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers by metro area in North Carolina, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Virginia Beach$18.31$30.48$31.13$35.432,08025% above
Greensboro$19.57$26.85$28.90$31.4538010% above
Asheville$17.23$24.90$25.80$36.671102% above
Charlotte$18.21$24.46$25.14$37.73700about the same as
Jacksonville$19.54$24.36$26.45$34.9140about the same as
Raleigh$18.34$24.31$24.76$31.65470about the same as
Wilmington$16.67$22.78$23.63$30.25907% below
Winston-Salem$17.92$22.64$24.61$31.801707% below
Burlington$15.22$22.61$24.26$28.55507% below
Hickory$18.70$22.50$25.42$29.67708% below
Durham$17.84$22.23$22.78$30.70809% below
Fayetteville$17.61$22.12$24.04$34.47709% below

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

Sheet metal worker wages in North Carolina over time

North Carolina, 1999-2025North CarolinaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.71United States$24.39North Carolina
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers, North Carolina vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNorth Carolina $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$11.36$21.95$14.098,270
2000$12.12$22.66$15.318,510
2001$12.66$23.01$15.978,460
2002$12.81$22.92$16.627,300
2003$13.15$23.01$16.836,760
2004$13.34$22.74$17.097,040
2005$13.16$21.69$17.506,530
2006$13.96$22.29$17.966,100
2007$14.72$22.86$18.856,710
2008$14.80$22.13$19.377,540
2009$14.96$22.45$19.546,680
2010$14.92$22.03$20.055,180
2011$15.99$22.89$20.554,100
2012$16.27$22.81$20.813,720
2013$16.65$23.01$21.103,570
2014——$21.673,650
2015$17.02$23.12$21.993,750
2016$16.35$21.93$22.573,900
2017$16.96$22.28$23.073,350
2018$17.11$21.94$23.303,000
2019$18.63$23.46$24.233,530
2020$19.15$23.82$24.703,710
2021$22.46$26.69$25.693,200
2022$22.53$24.78$26.612,910
2023$23.90$25.25$28.262,570
2024$25.18$25.84$29.262,860
2025$24.39$24.39$29.712,780

In today's dollars, the median sheet metal worker wage in North Carolina changed by +5.5% over the last ten years of data and by +4.0% since 2019.

Are there more sheet metal worker jobs in North Carolina?

0.6Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.7× the US share, 43rd of 50 states

BLS counted 2,780 sheet metal workers in North Carolina in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 11%. 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 North Carolina

+4.1%Projected growth in North Carolina2024–2034, state agency
260Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
3,090Jobs in 20243,220 projected for 2034
+2.5%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

North Carolina's labor market agency projects the number of sheet metal workers in the state to change by +4.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 3,090 to 3,220, with about 260 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 2,780 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: North Carolina 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 North Carolina

On federally funded construction in North Carolina, contractors must pay sheet metal workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 100 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $14.71). 54 of the 100 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Alleghany County at $14.71). The market median for the state is $24.39.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NCAlamance: $32.94 (survey)Alexander: $32.94 (survey)Alleghany: $14.71 (survey)Anson: $16.97 (survey)Ashe: $14.71 (survey)Avery: $14.71 (survey)Beaufort: $14.37 (survey)Bertie: $14.37 (survey)Bladen: $14.37 (survey)Brunswick: $32.94 (survey)Buncombe: $32.94 (survey)Burke: $32.94 (survey)Cabarrus: $32.94 (survey)Caldwell: $32.94 (survey)Camden: $14.37 (survey)Carteret: $14.37 (survey)Caswell: $14.71 (survey)Catawba: $32.94 (survey)Chatham: $32.94 (survey)Cherokee: $14.71 (survey)Chowan: $14.37 (survey)Clay: $14.71 (survey)Cleveland: $14.37 (survey)Columbus: $14.37 (survey)Craven: $32.94 (survey)Cumberland: $32.94 (survey)Currituck: $32.94 (survey)Dare: $14.37 (survey)Davidson: $32.94 (survey)Davie: $32.94 (survey)Duplin: $14.37 (survey)Durham: $32.94 (survey)Edgecombe: $32.94 (survey)Forsyth: $32.94 (survey)Franklin: $32.94 (survey)Gaston: $32.94 (survey)Gates: $32.94 (survey)Graham: $14.71 (survey)Granville: $14.71 (survey)Greene: $17.21 (survey)Guilford: $32.94 (survey)Halifax: $14.71 (survey)Harnett: $14.37 (survey)Haywood: $32.94 (survey)Henderson: $32.94 (survey)Hertford: $14.37 (survey)Hoke: $32.94 (survey)Hyde: $14.37 (survey)Iredell: $32.94 (survey)Jackson: $14.71 (survey)Johnston: $32.94 (survey)Jones: $32.94 (survey)Lee: $14.37 (survey)Lenoir: $14.37 (survey)Lincoln: $32.94 (survey)McDowell: $14.71 (survey)Macon: $14.71 (survey)Madison: $32.94 (survey)Martin: $14.37 (survey)Mecklenburg: $32.94 (survey)Mitchell: $14.71 (survey)Montgomery: $14.37 (survey)Moore: $14.37 (survey)Nash: $32.94 (survey)New Hanover: $32.94 (survey)Northampton: $14.71 (survey)Onslow: $32.94 (survey)Orange: $32.94 (survey)Pamlico: $32.94 (survey)Pasquotank: $14.37 (survey)Pender: $32.94 (survey)Perquimans: $14.37 (survey)Person: $32.94 (survey)Pitt: $32.94 (survey)Polk: $14.71 (survey)Randolph: $32.94 (survey)Richmond: $14.37 (survey)Robeson: $14.37 (survey)Rockingham: $32.94 (survey)Rowan: $32.94 (survey)Rutherford: $14.71 (survey)Sampson: $14.37 (survey)Scotland: $14.37 (survey)Stanly: $14.37 (survey)Stokes: $32.94 (survey)Surry: $14.71 (survey)Swain: $14.71 (survey)Transylvania: $14.71 (survey)Tyrrell: $14.37 (survey)Union: $32.94 (survey)Vance: $14.71 (survey)Wake: $32.94 (survey)Warren: $14.71 (survey)Washington: $14.37 (survey)Watauga: $14.71 (survey)Wayne: $32.94 (survey)Wilkes: $14.71 (survey)Wilson: $14.37 (survey)Yadkin: $32.94 (survey)Yancey: $14.71 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$14.71survey 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 (survey)$20$25$30$35/hrCumberland (Fayetteville): market median $22.12, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$10.82Cumberland (Fayetteville)+$10.82Chatham (Durham): market median $22.23, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$10.71Chatham (Durham)+$10.71Alexander (Hickory): market median $22.50, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$10.44Alexander (Hickory)+$10.44Alamance (Burlington): market median $22.61, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$10.33Alamance (Burlington)+$10.33Davidson (Winston-Salem): market median $22.64, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$10.30Davidson (Winston-Salem)+$10.30Brunswick (Wilmington): market median $22.78, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$10.16Brunswick (Wilmington)+$10.16Franklin (Raleigh): market median $24.31, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$8.63Franklin (Raleigh)+$8.63Onslow (Jacksonville): market median $24.36, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$8.58Onslow (Jacksonville)+$8.58Edgecombe (North Carolina): market median $24.39, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$8.55Edgecombe (North Carolina)+$8.55Cabarrus (Charlotte): market median $24.46, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$8.48Cabarrus (Charlotte)+$8.48Buncombe (Asheville): market median $24.90, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$8.04Buncombe (Asheville)+$8.04Guilford (Greensboro): market median $26.85, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$6.09Guilford (Greensboro)+$6.09Currituck (Virginia Beach): market median $30.48, prevailing (survey) $32.94, gap +$2.46Currituck (Virginia Beach)+$2.46
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for sheet metal workers, metro counties in North Carolina.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlamanceSurvey SUNC2018-013 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260013
AlexanderSurvey SUNC2018-025 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260014
BrunswickSurvey SUNC2018-015 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260015
BuncombeSurvey SUNC2018-016 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260016
BurkeSurvey SUNC2018-025 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260014
CabarrusSurvey SUNC2018-017 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260017
CaldwellSurvey SUNC2018-025 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260014
CatawbaSurvey SUNC2018-002 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260002
ChathamSurvey SUNC2018-013 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260013
CravenSurvey SUNC2018-018 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260018
CumberlandSurvey SUNC2018-019 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260122
CurrituckSurvey SUNC2018-020 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260123
DavidsonSurvey SUNC2018-021 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260124
DavieSurvey SUNC2018-021 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260124
DurhamSurvey SUNC2018-003 2023-08-08$19.67$13.27$32.94NC20260003

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

Is construction work growing in North Carolina?

296.4kConstruction jobsNorth Carolina, 2026-09
+6.0%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025296kSep 2026
Construction employment in North Carolina (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 91 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 116,615 in 2015 to 167,614 in 2025, +43.7%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Mecklenburg County3587,418$85,232$1,639
Union County1551,862$83,836$1,612
Wake County4938,000$80,701$1,552
Guilford County1953,270$77,077$1,482
Orange County52468$77,025$1,481
Durham County861,094$73,197$1,408
Alamance County83960$72,092$1,386
Henderson County82550$71,852$1,382
Cumberland County1091,168$71,491$1,375
Rowan County63850$71,237$1,370
Nash County40398$70,992$1,365
Iredell County96674$70,800$1,362

Keep comparing

Sheet metal worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in North Carolina

More on North Carolina

Questions this page answers

How much do sheet metal workers make in North Carolina?

The median sheet metal worker in North Carolina earned $24.39 an hour ($50,730 a year) in May 2025, 18% below the national median of $29.71. The middle half earn $21.87–$29.56; the top 10% earn more than $37.51.

Where does North Carolina rank for sheet metal worker pay?

North Carolina ranks 40th of 50 states for sheet metal worker pay, with a median of $24.39 an hour, and 42nd after adjusting for North Carolina's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.3, US = 100).

What is the union sheet metal worker rate in North Carolina?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a sheet metal worker classification for most North Carolina counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many sheet metal workers work in North Carolina?

BLS counted 2,780 sheet metal workers in North Carolina in May 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.73; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is sheet metal worker work growing in North Carolina?

North Carolina's labor market agency projects +4.1% growth for sheet metal workers between 2024 and 2034, from 3,090 to 3,220 jobs.

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

North Carolina projects about 260 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, North Carolina 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: North Carolina labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.