Skilled Wages

Sheet metal worker salary in Texas

Median $26.08 an hour for 9,540 sheet metal workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$26.08/hrMedian hourly wageTexas, May data
$54,240/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.79 – $37.6910th to 90th percentilehourly range
9,540Jobs countedemployer survey

Sheet metal worker pay in Texas: the full range

Wage percentiles, TexasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrTexas: 10th $17.79 · 25th $21.61 · median $26.08 · 75th $30.51 · 90th $37.69Texas$26.08$17.79$37.69United 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: Texas vs United States, May 2025.

Texas ranks 38th of 50 states for median sheet metal worker pay, and 40th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.86). 9,540 sheet metal workers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$17.79 – $21.61$37,010 – $44,950roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$21.61 – $30.51$44,950 – $63,450the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$30.51 – $37.69$63,450 – $78,400the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Sheet metal worker pay by metro in Texas

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrAustin: $30.29Austin$30.29Corpus Christi: $28.29Corpus Christi$28.29San Antonio: $27.59San Antonio$27.59Dallas-Fort Worth: $27.04Dallas-Fort Worth$27.04Wichita Falls: $25.70Wichita Falls$25.70Amarillo: $25.00Amarillo$25.00Houston: $24.94Houston$24.94Killeen: $24.24Killeen$24.24El Paso: $24.02El Paso$24.02Texarkana: $23.60Texarkana$23.60Tyler: $23.47Tyler$23.47Lubbock: $22.16Lubbock$22.16
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers by metro area in Texas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Austin$18.28$30.29$37.431,28016% above
Corpus Christi$20.59$28.29$40.934608% above
San Antonio$18.58$27.59$36.766806% above
Dallas-Fort Worth$18.11$27.04$37.722,8904% above
Wichita Falls$17.93$25.70$35.79401% below
Amarillo$16.85$25.00$30.97504% below
Houston$17.71$24.94$39.862,6104% below
Killeen$17.71$24.24$30.48507% below
El Paso$15.49$24.02$30.711508% below
Texarkana$14.37$23.60$32.735010% below
Tyler$16.45$23.47$27.398010% below
Lubbock$17.29$22.16$32.539015% below
McAllen$14.76$21.81$27.066016% below
Abilene$15.49$20.96$27.356020% below
Longview$15.12$20.11$28.509023% below

Sheet metal worker wages in Texas over time

Texas, 1999-2025TexasUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.71United States$26.08Texas
Median hourly wage for sheet metal workers, Texas vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearTexas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$11.13$21.51$14.0915,150
2000$12.07$22.57$15.3114,450
2001$12.35$22.45$15.9716,060
2002$12.50$22.37$16.6213,820
2003$12.62$22.08$16.8313,530
2004$12.98$22.12$17.0913,930
2005$13.72$22.62$17.5011,400
2006$14.84$23.70$17.9610,570
2007$14.99$23.28$18.859,860
2008$15.47$23.13$19.3711,650
2009$15.86$23.80$19.5412,320
2010$16.61$24.52$20.0511,190
2011$16.77$24.00$20.5511,650
2012$17.11$23.99$20.8112,330
2013$16.82$23.24$21.1013,080
2014$17.64$23.99$21.6711,530
2015$17.38$23.61$21.9911,740
2016$17.99$24.13$22.5711,090
2017$18.29$24.02$23.0711,010
2018$18.77$24.06$23.3010,060
2019$20.81$26.21$24.2310,130
2020$21.85$27.18$24.7010,400
2021$22.97$27.29$25.6910,800
2022$23.24$25.57$26.618,690
2023$24.53$25.92$28.269,390
2024$26.84$27.55$29.2610,270
2025$26.08$26.08$29.719,540

In today's dollars, the median sheet metal worker wage in Texas changed by +10.5% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for sheet metal workers in Texas

On federally funded construction in Texas, contractors must pay sheet metal workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 26 of the 254 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $46.83 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $17.00). 228 of the 254 counties still use a survey rate dated 2009 or earlier (for example Anderson County at $17.00). The market median for the state is $26.08.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, TXUnion / prevailing package, $/hr$17.00$27.66survey 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)$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrAtascosa (San Antonio): market median $27.59, prevailing (union) $50.20, gap +$22.61Atascosa (San Antonio)+$22.61Bastrop (Austin): market median $30.29, prevailing (union) $50.11, gap +$19.82Bastrop (Austin)+$19.82Austin (Houston): market median $24.94, prevailing (union) $43.55, gap +$18.61Austin (Houston)+$18.61Hardin (Texas): market median $26.08, prevailing (union) $42.82, gap +$16.74Hardin (Texas)+$16.74Callahan (Abilene): market median $20.96, prevailing (survey) $27.66, gap +$6.70Callahan (Abilene)+$6.70Hidalgo (McAllen): market median $21.81, prevailing (survey) $27.66, gap +$5.85Hidalgo (McAllen)+$5.85Crosby (Lubbock): market median $22.16, prevailing (survey) $27.66, gap +$5.50Crosby (Lubbock)+$5.50Dallas (Dallas-Fort Worth): market median $27.04, prevailing (survey) $32.11, gap +$5.07Dallas (Dallas-Fort Worth)+$5.07El Paso (El Paso): market median $24.02, prevailing (survey) $27.66, gap +$3.64El Paso (El Paso)+$3.64Armstrong (Amarillo): market median $25.00, prevailing (survey) $27.66, gap +$2.66Armstrong (Amarillo)+$2.66Archer (Wichita Falls): market median $25.70, prevailing (survey) $27.66, gap +$1.96Archer (Wichita Falls)+$1.96Aransas (Corpus Christi): market median $28.29, prevailing (survey) $27.66, gap −$0.63Aransas (Corpus Christi)−$0.63Harrison (Longview): market median $20.11, prevailing (survey) $17.00, gap −$3.11Harrison (Longview)−$3.11Smith (Tyler): market median $23.47, prevailing (survey) $16.90, gap −$6.57Smith (Tyler)−$6.57Bowie (Texarkana): market median $23.60, prevailing (survey) $16.90, gap −$6.70Bowie (Texarkana)−$6.70Bell (Killeen): market median $24.24, prevailing (survey) $16.44, gap −$7.80Bell (Killeen)−$7.80
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for sheet metal workers, metro counties in Texas.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AtascosaUnion SHEE0067-004 2025-07-01$34.10$16.10$50.20TX20260290
BanderaUnion SHEE0067-004 2025-07-01$34.10$16.10$50.20TX20260284
BexarUnion SHEE0067-004 2025-07-01$34.10$16.10$50.20TX20260231
ComalUnion SHEE0067-004 2025-07-01$34.10$16.10$50.20TX20260240
GuadalupeUnion SHEE0067-004 2025-07-01$34.10$16.10$50.20TX20260251
KendallUnion SHEE0067-004 2025-07-01$34.10$16.10$50.20TX20260258
MedinaUnion SHEE0067-004 2025-07-01$34.10$16.10$50.20TX20260290
WilsonUnion SHEE0067-004 2025-07-01$34.10$16.10$50.20TX20260287
BastropUnion SHEE0067-007 2025-07-01$34.01$16.10$50.11TX20260285
CaldwellUnion SHEE0067-007 2025-07-01$34.01$16.10$50.11TX20260286
HaysUnion SHEE0067-006 2025-07-01$34.01$16.10$50.11TX20260254
TravisUnion SHEE0067-007 2025-07-01$34.01$16.10$50.11TX20260271
WilliamsonUnion SHEE0067-007 2025-07-01$34.01$16.10$50.11TX20260275
AustinUnion SHEE0054-012 2020-04-01$29.70$13.85$43.55TX20260229
BrazoriaUnion SHEE0054-003 2020-04-01$29.70$13.85$43.55TX20260233

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

Is construction work growing in Texas?

929.9kConstruction jobsTexas, 2026-08
+2.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k19901995200020052010201520202025930kAug 2026
Construction employment in Texas (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
Chambers County83$122,401$2,354
Titus County129$108,908$2,094
Lavaca County117$92,860$1,786
Travis County8,443$91,900$1,767
Dallas County16,575$91,160$1,753
Harris County21,140$88,659$1,705
Tarrant County10,762$87,155$1,676
Bastrop County950$86,222$1,658
Guadalupe County670$86,044$1,655
Denton County2,823$84,591$1,627
Fort Bend County2,309$83,369$1,603
Midland County771$80,694$1,552

Keep comparing

Sheet metal worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Texas

Questions this page answers

How much do sheet metal workers make in Texas?

The median sheet metal worker in Texas earned $26.08 an hour ($54,240 a year) in May 2025, 12% below the national median of $29.71. The middle half earn $21.61–$30.51; the top 10% earn more than $37.69.

Where does Texas rank for sheet metal worker pay?

Texas ranks 38th of 50 states for sheet metal worker pay, with a median of $26.08 an hour, and 40th after adjusting for Texas's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.1, US = 100).

What is the union sheet metal worker rate in Texas?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for sheet metal workers in 26 counties, with a typical package of $46.83 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many sheet metal workers work in Texas?

BLS counted 9,540 sheet metal workers in Texas 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, Texas 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.