- The middle half earn between $23.89 and $39.79 an hour.
- Only 9 states pay sheet metal workers more at the median.
- Ohio pays more than all 5 neighboring states.
- BLS counts about 4,180 sheet metal workers on payrolls in Ohio.
- At the state median wage, a sheet metal or HVAC business needs to bill about $133.74 an hour on the labor rate calculator's starting numbers.
Sheet Metal Worker pay in Ohio, 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 | $20.77 | $43,200 | $18.57 |
| 25th percentile | $23.89 | $49,680 | $22.99 |
| Median | $35.96 | $74,790 | $29.71 |
| 75th percentile | $39.79 | $82,750 | $39.24 |
| 90th percentile | $45.31 | $94,240 | $50.79 |
| Average (mean) | $33.08 | $68,810 | $32.62 |
Pay is bunched up in Ohio. The top tenth earn $45.31 an hour or more, about 2.2 times the $20.77 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.
The floor is higher than nationally ($20.77 against $18.57) but the ceiling is lower ($45.31 against $50.79), which squeezes pay toward the middle.
The average wage ($33.08) is a little under the median, so the low end of the range stretches further than the high end in Ohio.
How Ohio compares with other states
Over a full year, the Ohio median of $74,790 is $12,990 more than the national $61,800.
In the state ranking, Ohio sits 10th, between California ($36.82) and New York ($35.46). The range runs from $22.03 in Arkansas to $47.38 in Washington.
Ohio pays sheet metal workers more than any of its neighboring states, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. 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 Ohio. Rent, home prices and taxes decide how far a higher wage goes.
| Neighboring state | Median hourly | Median yearly | Against Ohio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $35.96 | $74,790 | |
| Indiana | $30.79 | $64,040 | −$5.17 an hour |
| Kentucky | $29.17 | $60,680 | −$6.79 an hour |
| Michigan | $31.01 | $64,490 | −$4.95 an hour |
| Pennsylvania | $29.52 | $61,400 | −$6.44 an hour |
| West Virginia | $34.81 | $72,390 | −$1.15 an hour |
How many sheet metal workers work in Ohio
About 4,180 sheet metal workers work on payrolls in Ohio, 3.5% of the 119,770 nationwide, the 7th largest count among the states.
That is 0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in Ohio, close to the trade's share of jobs nationally.
What a sheet metal or HVAC business in Ohio should charge
Higher wages in Ohio go straight into the price. Take a sheet metal or HVAC business in Ohio paying the state median of $35.96 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 | $35.96 × 2,080 × 1.0765 | $80,519 |
| Break-even rate | ($80,519 + $90,000) ÷ 1,500 | $113.68 |
| Rate with 15% profit | $113.68 ÷ 0.85 | $133.74 |
That is $133.74 per billable hour, 3.7 times the wage, and $10.98 more than the $122.76 the same math gives at the national median wage.
Paying the 75th percentile instead, $39.79 in Ohio, to hire and keep experienced people raises the rate to $140.47.
A cheaper crew saves less than it seems: at the 25th percentile wage of $23.89, the rate only drops to $112.54.
Overhead, at $60 of every billed hour, and the unbilled hours move this rate more than a raise does. A dollar more in wages adds about $1.76 to the rate.
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.