Sheet Metal Workers in the Durham area earn a median of $46,240 a year, 25% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #248 of 273 metros for sheet metal worker pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Burlington and Greensboro, but less in Fayetteville.
It's one of 11 North Carolina metros with published pay for this trade; see sheet metal workers across North Carolina.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for sheet metal workers here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.4%) and the population is growing faster than most (+7.5% since 2020).
Durham scorecard for sheet metal workers Our calculation
Grades compare Durham with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($61,460).
Pay over time
The median pay for sheet metal workers in the Durham area went from $50,380 in 2020 to $46,240 in 2025, down 8.2%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -26.8% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among sheet metal workers in Durham.
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What the pay is really worth in Durham Our calculation
Prices in Durham run 2% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $47,391 would in a typical place, ranking #259 of 272 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for Durham from this pay, local rent and prices.
What sheet metal workers do
Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; or inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces. Includes sheet metal duct installers who install prefabricated sheet metal ducts used for heating, air conditioning, or other purposes.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.
- Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems.
- Fasten seams or joints together with welds, bolts, cement, rivets, solder, caulks, metal drive clips, or bonds to assemble components into products or to repair sheet metal items.
- Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation.
- Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, sheet metal worker jobs are projected to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 9,800 openings a year. About 8% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often sheet metal workers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Getting started: registered apprenticeship Government data
Most sheet metal workers train through a paid apprenticeship: you work and earn under experienced pros while taking classes, and pay usually rises as you progress. 727,586 people were active registered apprentices nationwide in FY2026, up 87% since FY2016, and construction is the largest field with 290,043 of them (40%), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Search apprenticeship openings near Durham ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Licensing in North Carolina Official source
The main state licensing office in North Carolina is the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Electrical and plumbing/HVAC have their own state boards. It can point you to the right license for sheet metal workers.
Official North Carolina licensing site ↗
Requirements for sheet metal workers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, sheet metal workers have 163 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.9× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying NC metros for sheet metal workers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GreensboroNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $55,860 | $60,152 | 380 |
| AshevilleNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $51,790 | $53,665 | 110 |
| CharlotteNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $50,890 | $52,276 | 700 |
| JacksonvilleNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $50,680 | $55,036 | 40 |
| RaleighNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $50,570 | $51,520 | 470 |
| WilmingtonNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $47,390 | $49,149 | 90 |
| WinstonNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $47,080 | $51,150 | 170 |
| BurlingtonNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $47,020 | $50,453 | 50 |
| HickoryNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $46,800 | $52,890 | 70 |
| DurhamNORTH CAROLINA · NC | $46,240 | $47,391 | 80 |
See every metro in North Carolina.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Durham area's unemployment rate was 3.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just sheet metal workers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Durham area is 24 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 12% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 64% drive alone, 3% take transit and 20% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Durham area's population grew 7.5% from 2020 to 2025 (582,060 → 625,485), ranking #60 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +35,472) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Durham
The Durham area has about 282,635 homes. 30% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 23% were built in 2010 or later. 61% of households own their home, and the median home value is $441,300.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Durham are roughly flat from 2021 to 2025 (5,900 → 6,100).
In 2025 the Durham area approved permits for 6,100 new homes (3,751 single-family), or 10.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #29 of 393 metros, among the busiest building markets in the country.
Working outdoors in Durham Government data
In an average year, Durham has 34 days at 90°F or hotter (about typical; typical metro 33), 71 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 76 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 86°F and winter nights 32°F. That matters for sheet metal workers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Durham 11 W, NC station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Where to train near Durham Government data
2 schools in or near Durham offer precision metal working (welding, machining, sheet metal) programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont Community College Roxboro, NC · Public | Certificate | $14,116 | 58 | — |
| Durham Technical Community College Durham, NC · Public | Certificate | $10,327 | 27 | — |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $46,240 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get sheet metal worker pricing & estimate templates →Compare Durham with another city →
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ToolBest cities for sheet metal workersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in DurhamSee where it falls among local sheet metal workers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolDurham budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Durham metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Durham against every other metro for sheet metal workers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for sheet metal workers as a separate industry, so that section is left out.