Statewide pay Government data
Sheet metal workers in North Dakota earn a statewide median of $65,180 a year, 6% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #17 of 50 states. About 290 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near North Dakota
See all states on the sheet metal workers nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes sheet metal worker pay for 2 North Dakota metros: Fargo and Grand Forks.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| FargoNORTH DAKOTA · ND | $80,290 | $88,356 | 100 |
| Grand ForksNORTH DAKOTA · ND | $61,460 | $70,918 | 100 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
The job (national)
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.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,800 openings a year. Typical training: apprenticeship.
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.
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 ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Registered apprenticeships Government data
Of sheet metal worker apprentices in North Dakota who finished or left a registered program in fiscal years 2020–2024, 46% completed (U.S.: 57%), about 11 graduates a year. The typical program runs 8,000 hours, about 4 years of full-time work. Search open registered programs near you on the official Apprenticeship Finder.
U.S. Department of Labor, RAPIDS apprentice records (Completion Rate Analysis), FY2020–2024 exits.
Where to train in North Dakota Government data
8 schools in North Dakota offer precision metal working (welding, machining, sheet metal) programs below the bachelor's level, 5 of them at public colleges. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
Where published, graduates earned a median of $51,411 in their first year out.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynnes Welding Training Fargo, ND · Private for-profit | Certificate | $23,589 | 103 | $50,995 |
| North Dakota State College of Science Wahpeton, ND · Public | Associate degree | $17,565 | 27 | $51,827 |
| Bismarck State College Bismarck, ND · Public | Certificate | $16,017 | 18 | — |
| North Dakota State College of Science Wahpeton, ND · Public | Certificate | $17,565 | 18 | — |
| Dickinson State University Dickinson, ND · Public | Certificate | $21,845 | 16 | — |
| Williston State College Williston, ND · Public | Certificate | $17,932 | 11 | — |
| United Tribes Technical College Bismarck, ND · Private nonprofit | Certificate | $12,880 | 7 | — |
| Bismarck State College Bismarck, ND · Public | Associate degree | $16,017 | 6 | — |
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.
Licensing in North Dakota Official source
The main state licensing office in North Dakota is the North Dakota Secretary of State. Contractor licensing; electricians and plumbers have their own state boards. It can point you to the right license for sheet metal workers.
Official North Dakota licensing site ↗
Requirements for sheet metal workers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 6.0% of wage and salary workers in North Dakota were union members, below the U.S. rate of about 10% (#35 of 51 states and D.C.), and 7.4% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only sheet metal workers.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in North Dakota
All trades in North Dakota.