Overview
All Sheetmetal Trades Workers
-
$1,600 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
6,400 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
92% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
1% female Gender Share
Sheetmetal Trades Workers mark out, shape, form and join sheetmetal and other materials to make products and components.
Specialisations: Metal Spinner, Sheetmetal Patternmaker.
You need extensive experience, or a certificate III in engineering - fabrication trade to work as a Sheetmetal Trades Worker.
Tasks
- studying blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine job, material and equipment requirements
- selecting metal stock, such as stainless steel, galvanised iron, mild steel, aluminium and copper, and checking sizes, gauges and other dimensions of metal stock against specifications
- marking out metal stock with reference points and lines, using templates, gauges and other measuring instruments
- cutting metal stock along guidelines using hand and power shears, guillotines and drills
- shaping and forming cut metal stock into products using folding and bending machines, rollers, presses and hammers
- fitting and assembling components into final products by welding, riveting, soldering, brazing and otherwise joining
- finishing products by polishing, filing, sanding and cleaning assembled products
- may repair damaged sheetmetal products and components
- may specialise in fabrication, or on-site assembly and installation, of sheetmetal products
- may produce aircraft sheet metal components requiring advanced drawing and calculating skills
- may specialise in decorative copperwork
Prospects
There were 6,400 Sheetmetal Trades Workers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to stay about the same over the next five years
- is likely to reach 6,500 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a small occupation.
- Location: Sheetmetal Trades Workers work in many parts of Australia. Queensland has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Construction; and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,600 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (92%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 44 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 1% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
You need extensive experience, or a certificate III in engineering - fabrication trade to work as a Sheetmetal Trades Worker.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Manufacturing and Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Sheetmetal Trades Workers who are mature, reliable and are hard working with a good a work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Depth perception
Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts
Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Guiding and directing staff
Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2211.00 - Sheet Metal Workers.
Work Environment
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings
Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles
Spend time climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2211.00 - Sheet Metal Workers.
All Sheetmetal Trades Workers
-
$1,600 Weekly Pay
-
Stable Future Growth
-
6,400 workers Employment Size
-
Medium skill Skill level rating
-
92% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
44 hours Average full-time
-
41 years Average age
-
1% female Gender Share
Sheetmetal Trades Workers mark out, shape, form and join sheetmetal and other materials to make products and components.
Specialisations: Metal Spinner, Sheetmetal Patternmaker.
You need extensive experience, or a certificate III in engineering - fabrication trade to work as a Sheetmetal Trades Worker.
Tasks
- studying blueprints, drawings and specifications to determine job, material and equipment requirements
- selecting metal stock, such as stainless steel, galvanised iron, mild steel, aluminium and copper, and checking sizes, gauges and other dimensions of metal stock against specifications
- marking out metal stock with reference points and lines, using templates, gauges and other measuring instruments
- cutting metal stock along guidelines using hand and power shears, guillotines and drills
- shaping and forming cut metal stock into products using folding and bending machines, rollers, presses and hammers
- fitting and assembling components into final products by welding, riveting, soldering, brazing and otherwise joining
- finishing products by polishing, filing, sanding and cleaning assembled products
- may repair damaged sheetmetal products and components
- may specialise in fabrication, or on-site assembly and installation, of sheetmetal products
- may produce aircraft sheet metal components requiring advanced drawing and calculating skills
- may specialise in decorative copperwork
There were 6,400 Sheetmetal Trades Workers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to stay about the same over the next five years
- is likely to reach 6,500 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a small occupation.
- Location: Sheetmetal Trades Workers work in many parts of Australia. Queensland has a large share of workers.
- Industries: Most work in Manufacturing; Construction; and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,600 per week (similar to the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: Most work full-time (92%, much higher than the average of 66%).
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 44 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 41 years (compared to the average of 40 years).
- Gender: 1% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
You need extensive experience, or a certificate III in engineering - fabrication trade to work as a Sheetmetal Trades Worker.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Manufacturing and Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.
Employers look for Sheetmetal Trades Workers who are mature, reliable and are hard working with a good a work ethic.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Mechanical
Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
-
Building and construction
Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Production and processing
Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Engineering and technology
Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Physics
The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.
-
Transportation
Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Economics and accounting
Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Mathematics
Using maths to solve problems.
-
Quality control analysis
Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Operation and control
Controlling equipment or systems.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Equipment maintenance
Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.
-
Operation monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Repairing
Fixing machines or systems.
-
Troubleshooting
Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Visualization
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Control precision
Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
-
Manual dexterity
Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
-
Trunk strength
Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
-
Auditory attention
Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.
-
Arm-hand steadiness
Keep your hand or arm steady.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Extent flexibility
Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
-
Static strength
Lift, push, pull, or carry things.
-
Multilimb coordination
Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Depth perception
Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Perceptual speed
Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Doing physically active work
Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts
Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
-
Controlling equipment or machines
Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Checking for errors or defects
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Driving vehicles or equipment
Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Guiding and directing staff
Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Looking for changes over time
Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Estimating amounts, costs and resources
Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Explaining things to people
Helping people to understand and use information.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2211.00 - Sheet Metal Workers.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Wear common protective or safety equipment
Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Loud or uncomfortable sounds
Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Exposure to contaminants
Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.
-
Indoors, not heat controlled
Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Time pressure
Work to strict deadlines.
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Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
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Making repetitive motions
Spend time making repetitive motions.
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Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
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Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
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Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings
Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.
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Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
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Climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles
Spend time climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles.
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Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
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Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2211.00 - Sheet Metal Workers.