- The middle half earn between $25.37 and $44.54 an hour.
- Only 5 states pay sheet metal workers more at the median.
- Massachusetts pays more than all 5 neighboring states.
- BLS counts about 2,890 sheet metal workers on payrolls in Massachusetts.
- At the state median wage, a sheet metal or HVAC business needs to bill about $139.90 an hour on the labor rate calculator's starting numbers.
Sheet Metal Worker pay in Massachusetts, bottom to top
Sheet metal workers fabricate and install ductwork, flashing, gutters and metal roofing parts, in a shop and on site.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly | National hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.33 | $46,440 | $18.57 |
| 25th percentile | $25.37 | $52,760 | $22.99 |
| Median | $39.47 | $82,100 | $29.71 |
| 75th percentile | $44.54 | $92,630 | $39.24 |
| 90th percentile | $58.20 | $121,050 | $50.79 |
| Average (mean) | $37.93 | $78,900 | $32.62 |
From the bottom tenth ($22.33) to the top tenth ($58.20), the top of the scale pays about 2.6 times the bottom in Massachusetts, close to the 2.7 times spread for sheet metal workers nationwide.
Both ends of the scale beat the national figures: $22.33 against $18.57 at the bottom tenth, and $58.20 against $50.79 at the top.
The average wage ($37.93) is a little under the median, so the low end of the range stretches further than the high end in Massachusetts.
How Massachusetts compares with other states
Over a full year, the Massachusetts median of $82,100 is $20,300 more than the national $61,800.
In the state ranking, Massachusetts sits 6th, between Illinois ($41.65) and Connecticut ($37.86). The range runs from $22.03 in Arkansas to $47.38 in Washington.
Massachusetts pays sheet metal workers more than any of its neighboring states, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Someone working near the border can earn more by taking work on this side of it.
These are wages as paid, not adjusted for what it costs to live in Massachusetts. Rent, home prices and taxes decide how far a higher wage goes.
| Neighboring state | Median hourly | Median yearly | Against Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $39.47 | $82,100 | |
| Connecticut | $37.86 | $78,750 | −$1.61 an hour |
| New Hampshire | $28.75 | $59,800 | −$10.72 an hour |
| New York | $35.46 | $73,760 | −$4.01 an hour |
| Rhode Island | $31.30 | $65,100 | −$8.17 an hour |
| Vermont | $28.00 | $58,250 | −$11.47 an hour |
How many sheet metal workers work in Massachusetts
About 2,890 sheet metal workers work on payrolls in Massachusetts, 2.4% of the 119,770 nationwide, the 17th largest count among the states.
That is 0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in Massachusetts, close to the trade's share of jobs nationally.
What a sheet metal or HVAC business in Massachusetts should charge
Higher wages in Massachusetts go straight into the price. Take a sheet metal or HVAC business in Massachusetts paying the state median of $39.47 and run it through the labor rate calculator with its starting numbers (40-hour weeks, 10 paid days off, 2 unbilled hours a day, 7.65% payroll taxes, $90,000 a year of overhead and 15% profit).
| Step | Math | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Paid hours | 40 × 52 | 2,080 |
| Hours at work | 2,080 − 10 days × 8 | 2,000 |
| Billable hours | 2,000 × 6 ÷ 8 | 1,500 |
| Labor cost | $39.47 × 2,080 × 1.0765 | $88,378 |
| Break-even rate | ($88,378 + $90,000) ÷ 1,500 | $118.92 |
| Rate with 15% profit | $118.92 ÷ 0.85 | $139.90 |
That is $139.90 per billable hour, 3.5 times the wage, and $17.14 more than the $122.76 the same math gives at the national median wage.
Paying the 75th percentile instead, $44.54 in Massachusetts, to hire and keep experienced people raises the rate to $148.81.
A cheaper crew saves less than it seems: at the 25th percentile wage of $25.37, the rate only drops to $115.14.
At this wage the pay itself is the biggest part of the price, so every raise shows up in the rate: a dollar more an hour adds about $1.76 per billed hour.
Run it with your own numbers in the labor rate calculator. It is free and shows every step.
Where these numbers come from
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
The figures are the BLS state estimates for SOC 47-2211, sheet metal workers, across all industries, read straight from the May 2025 state data file. They cover wage and salary workers, not the self-employed. Where BLS did not publish a figure, this page leaves it out.
All states in one table: sheet metal worker salary by state.