- The middle half earn between $21.87 and $29.56 an hour.
- North Carolina ranks 40th of the 50 states with published figures for median pay in this trade.
- North Carolina pays more than 1 of its 4 neighboring states.
- BLS counts about 2,780 sheet metal workers on payrolls in North Carolina.
- At the state median wage, a sheet metal or HVAC business needs to bill about $113.42 an hour on the labor rate calculator's starting numbers.
Sheet Metal Worker pay in North Carolina, 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 | $17.93 | $37,280 | $18.57 |
| 25th percentile | $21.87 | $45,500 | $22.99 |
| Median | $24.39 | $50,730 | $29.71 |
| 75th percentile | $29.56 | $61,490 | $39.24 |
| 90th percentile | $37.51 | $78,020 | $50.79 |
| Average (mean) | $26.23 | $54,560 | $32.62 |
Pay is bunched up in North Carolina. The top tenth earn $37.51 an hour or more, about 2.1 times the $17.93 at the bottom tenth. Nationally that gap is 2.7 times, so the step from the bottom of the scale to the top is shorter here than in most places.
Both ends trail the national figures. The bottom tenth earn $0.64 an hour less than the bottom tenth nationally, and the top tenth $13.28 less than the national top tenth.
The average wage, $26.23, sits 8% above the median. A smaller group of higher earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical sheet metal worker makes.
How North Carolina compares with other states
Over a full year, the North Carolina median of $50,730 is $11,070 less than the national $61,800.
In the state ranking, North Carolina sits 40th, between Virginia ($25.10) and Louisiana ($24.19). The range runs from $22.03 in Arkansas to $47.38 in Washington.
Against its neighboring states, North Carolina is in the middle: Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia pay more, and South Carolina pays less.
BLS wages are not adjusted for living costs. Lower pay often comes with lower housing costs, so the gap in take-home value can be smaller than the gap in wages.
| Neighboring state | Median hourly | Median yearly | Against North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $24.39 | $50,730 | |
| Georgia | $27.31 | $56,800 | +$2.92 an hour |
| South Carolina | $24.00 | $49,920 | −$0.39 an hour |
| Tennessee | $28.45 | $59,170 | +$4.06 an hour |
| Virginia | $25.10 | $52,220 | +$0.71 an hour |
How many sheet metal workers work in North Carolina
About 2,780 sheet metal workers work on payrolls in North Carolina, 2.3% of the 119,770 nationwide, the 20th largest count among the states.
It is a smaller part of local jobs than in most of the country, at 0.6 per 1,000 jobs, 0.73 times the national share.
What a sheet metal or HVAC business in North Carolina should charge
A lower wage helps the price less than you might expect, because the overhead does not shrink with it. Here is a sheet metal or HVAC business in North Carolina paying the state median of $24.39, on the labor rate calculator's 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 | $24.39 × 2,080 × 1.0765 | $54,612 |
| Break-even rate | ($54,612 + $90,000) ÷ 1,500 | $96.41 |
| Rate with 15% profit | $96.41 ÷ 0.85 | $113.42 |
That is $113.42 per billable hour, 4.7 times the wage, and $9.34 less than the $122.76 the same math gives at the national median wage.
Paying the 75th percentile instead, $29.56 in North Carolina, to hire and keep experienced people raises the rate to $122.50.
A cheaper crew saves less than it seems: at the 25th percentile wage of $21.87, the rate only drops to $109.00.
At this wage, overhead is most of the price: $60 of every billed hour goes to it before anyone is paid. Spreading the same overhead over more billable hours, with a second person or less drive time, brings the rate down fastest.
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.