Sheet Metal Workers in the Appleton area earn a median of $81,400 a year, 32% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #25 of 273 metros for sheet metal worker pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Sheboygan, but less in Oshkosh.
It's one of 10 Wisconsin metros with published pay for this trade; see sheet metal workers across Wisconsin.
Sheet Metal Worker pay in Appleton at a glance
- Sheet metal workers in the Appleton, WI metro earn a median $81,400 a year ($39.14 an hour), #25 of 273 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $45,930 and $101,750.
- After local prices, that median buys what $88,077 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $986 a month, 15% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among sheet metal workers in Appleton.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for sheet metal workers here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (2.8%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+2.6% since 2020).
Appleton scorecard for sheet metal workers Our calculation
Grades compare Appleton 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 Appleton area went from $55,530 in 2020 to $81,400 in 2025, up 46.6%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +16.9% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Appleton Our calculation
Prices in the Appleton area run 8% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $88,077 would in a typical place, ranking #22 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 Appleton 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 Appleton ↗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 Wisconsin Official source
The main state licensing office in Wisconsin is the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. It can point you to the right license for sheet metal workers.
Official Wisconsin 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 WI metros for sheet metal workers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| SheboyganWISCONSIN · WI | $83,220 | $88,519 | 40 |
| AppletonWISCONSIN · WI | $81,400 | $88,077 | 400 |
| MilwaukeeWISCONSIN · WI | $78,840 | $81,331 | 1,020 |
| WausauWISCONSIN · WI | $77,330 | $83,464 | 170 |
| Green BayWISCONSIN · WI | $76,760 | $82,461 | 280 |
| Eau ClaireWISCONSIN · WI | $76,040 | $81,943 | 80 |
| La CrosseWISCONSIN · WI | $75,190 | $81,934 | 60 |
| MadisonWISCONSIN · WI | $74,450 | $76,526 | 340 |
| JanesvilleWISCONSIN · WI | $70,130 | $74,843 | 30 |
| OshkoshWISCONSIN · WI | $62,500 | $67,256 | 70 |
See every metro in Wisconsin.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Appleton area's unemployment rate was 2.8% in 2025 (all workers, not just sheet metal workers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.0% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Appleton area is 20 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 6% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 78% drive alone, 0% take transit and 12% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Appleton area's population grew 2.6% from 2020 to 2025 (243,434 → 249,876), ranking #189 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +4,512) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Appleton
The Appleton area has about 105,394 homes. 46% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 14% were built in 2010 or later. 72% of households own their home, and the median home value is $297,500.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Appleton are down 12% from 2021 to 2025 (1,429 → 1,264).
In 2025 the Appleton area approved permits for 1,264 new homes (626 single-family), or 5.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #133 of 393 metros.
Working outdoors in Appleton Government data
In an average year, Appleton has 7 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 157 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 70 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 49 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 79°F and winter nights 13°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, Appleton, WI station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Where to train near Appleton Government data
1 school in or near Appleton offers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI · Public | Certificate | $20,817 | 255 | $55,048 |
| Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI · Public | Associate degree | $20,817 | 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 $81,400 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 Appleton with another city →
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ToolAppleton budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Appleton 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 Appleton 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.