Skilled Wages

Sheet metal worker salary in Pennsylvania

Median $29.52 an hour for 3,260 sheet metal workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$29.52/hrMedian hourly wagePennsylvania, May data
$61,400/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.95 – $60.7810th to 90th percentilehourly range
3,260Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Sheet metal worker pay in Pennsylvania: the full range

Wage percentiles, PennsylvaniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrPennsylvania: 10th $21.95 · 25th $24.35 · median $29.52 · 75th $42.12 · 90th $60.78Pennsylvania$29.52$21.95$60.78United 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: Pennsylvania vs United States, May 2025.

Pennsylvania ranks 29th of 50 states for median sheet metal worker pay, and 30th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $30.25). 3,260 sheet metal workers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.95 – $24.35$45,660 – $50,650roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$24.35 – $42.12$50,650 – $87,610the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$42.12 – $60.78$87,610 – $126,430the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Sheet metal worker pay by metro in Pennsylvania

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrPhiladelphia: $37.09Philadelphia$37.09Reading: $32.32Reading$32.32Erie: $31.59Erie$31.59Allentown: $31.40Allentown$31.40Scranton: $31.37Scranton$31.37Harrisburg: $30.57Harrisburg$30.57York: $29.02York$29.02Lancaster: $28.79Lancaster$28.79Lebanon: $28.61Lebanon$28.61Altoona: $28.19Altoona$28.19Pittsburgh: $27.91Pittsburgh$27.91
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers by metro area in Pennsylvania, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Philadelphia$21.88$37.09$60.511,53026% above
Reading$22.74$32.32$62.621309% above
Erie$18.13$31.59$45.33707% above
Allentown$18.86$31.40$64.231906% above
Scranton$20.14$31.37$60.781406% above
Harrisburg$22.87$30.57$50.701804% above
York$21.71$29.02$43.881802% below
Lancaster$21.91$28.79$62.672202% below
Lebanon$19.17$28.61$55.49403% below
Altoona$21.67$28.19$37.74505% below
Pittsburgh$23.00$27.91$42.518705% below

Sheet metal worker wages in Pennsylvania over time

Pennsylvania, 1999-2025PennsylvaniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.71United States$29.52Pennsylvania
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers, Pennsylvania vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearPennsylvania $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.54$31.96$14.096,680
2000$17.58$32.87$15.317,120
2001$18.00$32.72$15.976,920
2002$18.37$32.87$16.627,020
2003$18.13$31.72$16.836,420
2004$19.30$32.89$17.095,750
2005$20.23$33.35$17.504,860
2006$21.30$34.01$17.965,380
2007$21.60$33.54$18.854,760
2008$22.91$34.26$19.375,560
2009$22.80$34.21$19.544,870
2010$22.21$32.79$20.053,990
2011$21.90$31.34$20.554,110
2012$22.42$31.44$20.815,000
2013$22.91$31.66$21.104,550
2014$25.55$34.75$21.674,600
2015$25.03$34.00$21.993,510
2016$25.33$33.98$22.574,220
2017$23.89$31.38$23.073,620
2018$25.89$33.19$23.303,270
2019$26.26$33.07$24.232,740
2020$27.49$34.20$24.702,700
2021$36.39$43.24$25.692,890
2022$31.11$34.22$26.612,390
2023$30.31$32.03$28.262,470
2024$33.29$34.17$29.262,340
2025$29.52$29.52$29.713,260

In today's dollars, the median sheet metal worker wage in Pennsylvania changed by -13.2% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for sheet metal workers in Pennsylvania

On federally funded construction in Pennsylvania, contractors must pay sheet metal workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 62 of the 67 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $82.68 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $54.90). 5 of the 67 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Blair County at $54.90). The market median for the state is $29.52.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, PAAdams: $85.61 (union)Allegheny: $82.68 (union)Armstrong: $82.68 (union)Beaver: $82.68 (union)Bedford: $82.68 (union)Berks: $85.61 (union)Blair: $54.90 (survey)Bradford: $85.61 (union)Bucks: $113.28 (union)Butler: $82.68 (union)Cambria: $51.11 (survey)Cameron: $82.68 (union)Carbon: $85.61 (union)Centre: $54.90 (survey)Chester: $85.61 (union)Clarion: $82.68 (union)Clearfield: $82.68 (union)Clinton: $82.68 (union)Columbia: $66.45 (union)Crawford: $82.68 (union)Cumberland: $56.01 (survey)Dauphin: $85.61 (union)Delaware: $113.28 (union)Elk: $82.68 (union)Erie: $82.68 (union)Fayette: $82.68 (union)Forest: $82.68 (union)Franklin: $85.61 (union)Fulton: $82.68 (union)Greene: $82.68 (union)Huntingdon: $82.68 (union)Indiana: $82.68 (union)Jefferson: $82.68 (union)Juniata: $85.61 (union)Lackawanna: $66.45 (union)Lancaster: $85.61 (union)Lawrence: $82.68 (union)Lebanon: $85.61 (union)Lehigh: $85.61 (union)Luzerne: $66.45 (union)Lycoming: $66.45 (union)McKean: $82.68 (union)Mercer: $82.68 (union)Mifflin: $85.61 (union)Monroe: $66.45 (union)Montgomery: $113.28 (union)Montour: $66.45 (union)Northampton: $85.61 (union)Northumberland: $85.61 (union)Perry: $54.58 (survey)Philadelphia: $113.28 (union)Pike: $66.45 (union)Potter: $82.68 (union)Schuylkill: $85.61 (union)Snyder: $85.61 (union)Somerset: $82.68 (union)Sullivan: $85.61 (union)Susquehanna: $85.61 (union)Tioga: $85.61 (union)Union: $85.61 (union)Venango: $82.68 (union)Warren: $82.68 (union)Washington: $82.68 (union)Wayne: $85.61 (union)Westmoreland: $82.68 (union)Wyoming: $66.45 (union)York: $85.61 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$82.68$85.61survey 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$25$50$75$100$125/hrBucks (Philadelphia): market median $37.09, prevailing (union) $113.28, gap +$76.19Bucks (Philadelphia)+$76.19Lebanon (Lebanon): market median $28.61, prevailing (union) $85.61, gap +$57.00Lebanon (Lebanon)+$57.00Lancaster (Lancaster): market median $28.79, prevailing (union) $85.61, gap +$56.82Lancaster (Lancaster)+$56.82York (York): market median $29.02, prevailing (union) $85.61, gap +$56.59York (York)+$56.59Adams (Pennsylvania): market median $29.52, prevailing (union) $85.61, gap +$56.09Adams (Pennsylvania)+$56.09Dauphin (Harrisburg): market median $30.57, prevailing (union) $85.61, gap +$55.04Dauphin (Harrisburg)+$55.04Allegheny (Pittsburgh): market median $27.91, prevailing (union) $82.68, gap +$54.77Allegheny (Pittsburgh)+$54.77Carbon (Allentown): market median $31.40, prevailing (union) $85.61, gap +$54.21Carbon (Allentown)+$54.21Berks (Reading): market median $32.32, prevailing (union) $85.61, gap +$53.29Berks (Reading)+$53.29Erie (Erie): market median $31.59, prevailing (union) $82.68, gap +$51.09Erie (Erie)+$51.09Lackawanna (Scranton): market median $31.37, prevailing (union) $66.45, gap +$35.08Lackawanna (Scranton)+$35.08Blair (Altoona): market median $28.19, prevailing (survey) $54.90, gap +$26.71Blair (Altoona)+$26.71
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for sheet metal workers, metro counties in Pennsylvania.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BucksUnion SHEE0019-020 2025-05-01$62.62$50.66$113.28PA20260078
DelawareUnion SHEE0019-020 2025-05-01$62.62$50.66$113.28PA20260087
MontgomeryUnion SHEE0019-020 2025-05-01$62.62$50.66$113.28PA20260099
PhiladelphiaUnion SHEE0019-008 2025-05-01$62.62$50.66$113.28PA20260003
AdamsUnion SHEE0019-015 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260073
BerksUnion SHEE0019-015 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260076
BradfordUnion SHEE0019-014 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260044
CarbonUnion SHEE0019-014 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260081
ChesterUnion SHEE0019-014 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260083
DauphinUnion SHEE0019-015 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260086
FranklinUnion SHEE0019-015 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260090
JuniataUnion SHEE0019-014 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260057
LancasterUnion SHEE0019-015 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260092
LebanonUnion SHEE0019-014 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260093
LehighUnion SHEE0019-015 2024-06-01$43.09$42.52$85.61PA20260094

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

Is construction work growing in Pennsylvania?

272.7kConstruction jobsPennsylvania, 2026-08
-0.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025273kAug 2026
Construction employment in Pennsylvania (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
Philadelphia County2,622$116,311$2,237
Fulton County51$108,936$2,095
Montgomery County4,922$105,041$2,020
Bucks County3,753$101,416$1,950
Dauphin County1,660$94,957$1,826
Lehigh County1,544$92,500$1,779
Delaware County2,341$92,322$1,775
Berks County1,464$88,373$1,699
Chester County1,960$85,595$1,646
Allegheny County5,795$84,545$1,626
Union County173$83,326$1,602
Columbia County191$83,010$1,596

Keep comparing

Sheet metal worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Pennsylvania

Questions this page answers

How much do sheet metal workers make in Pennsylvania?

The median sheet metal worker in Pennsylvania earned $29.52 an hour ($61,400 a year) in May 2025, 1% below the national median of $29.71. The middle half earn $24.35–$42.12; the top 10% earn more than $60.78.

Where does Pennsylvania rank for sheet metal worker pay?

Pennsylvania ranks 29th of 50 states for sheet metal worker pay, with a median of $29.52 an hour, and 30th after adjusting for Pennsylvania's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.6, US = 100).

What is the union sheet metal worker rate in Pennsylvania?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for sheet metal workers in 62 counties, with a typical package of $82.68 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many sheet metal workers work in Pennsylvania?

BLS counted 3,260 sheet metal workers in Pennsylvania in May 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.70; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Pennsylvania 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.