- The middle half earn between $28.08 and $52.37 an hour.
- Oregon ranks 11th of the 50 states with published figures for median pay in this trade.
- Oregon pays more than 2 of its 4 neighboring states.
- BLS counts about 3,250 sheet metal workers on payrolls in Oregon.
- At the state median wage, a sheet metal or HVAC business needs to bill about $132.86 an hour on the labor rate calculator's starting numbers.
Sheet Metal Worker pay in Oregon, 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 | $23.15 | $48,150 | $18.57 |
| 25th percentile | $28.08 | $58,410 | $22.99 |
| Median | $35.46 | $73,750 | $29.71 |
| 75th percentile | $52.37 | $108,920 | $39.24 |
| 90th percentile | $57.98 | $120,600 | $50.79 |
| Average (mean) | $38.60 | $80,290 | $32.62 |
Pay is bunched up in Oregon. The top tenth earn $57.98 an hour or more, about 2.5 times the $23.15 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 of the scale beat the national figures: $23.15 against $18.57 at the bottom tenth, and $57.98 against $50.79 at the top.
The average wage, $38.60, sits 9% 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 Oregon compares with other states
Over a full year, the Oregon median of $73,750 is $11,950 more than the national $61,800.
In the state ranking, Oregon sits 11th, between Ohio ($35.96) and Minnesota ($35.08). New York has exactly the same median, $35.46, so the two share that place. The range runs from $22.03 in Arkansas to $47.38 in Washington.
Against its neighboring states, Oregon is in the middle: California and Washington pay more, and Idaho and Nevada pay less.
These are wages as paid, not adjusted for what it costs to live in Oregon. Rent, home prices and taxes decide how far a higher wage goes.
| Neighboring state | Median hourly | Median yearly | Against Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $35.46 | $73,750 | |
| California | $36.82 | $76,590 | +$1.36 an hour |
| Idaho | $22.29 | $46,350 | −$13.17 an hour |
| Nevada | $22.47 | $46,730 | −$12.99 an hour |
| Washington | $47.38 | $98,550 | +$11.92 an hour |
How many sheet metal workers work in Oregon
About 3,250 sheet metal workers work on payrolls in Oregon, 2.7% of the 119,770 nationwide, the 13th largest count among the states.
The trade is a bigger part of the local job market than it is nationally: 1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in Oregon, 2.1 times the national share.
What a sheet metal or HVAC business in Oregon should charge
Higher wages in Oregon go straight into the price. Take a sheet metal or HVAC business in Oregon paying the state median of $35.46 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 | $35.46 × 2,080 × 1.0765 | $79,399 |
| Break-even rate | ($79,399 + $90,000) ÷ 1,500 | $112.93 |
| Rate with 15% profit | $112.93 ÷ 0.85 | $132.86 |
That is $132.86 per billable hour, 3.7 times the wage, and $10.10 more than the $122.76 the same math gives at the national median wage.
Paying the 75th percentile instead, $52.37 in Oregon, to hire and keep experienced people raises the rate to $162.56.
A cheaper crew saves less than it seems: at the 25th percentile wage of $28.08, the rate only drops to $119.90.
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.