O*NET-SOC 47-2211.00 / model V11 rated-task engine

Will AI replace
Sheet Metal Workers?

Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; or inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces. Includes sheet metal duct installers who install prefabricated sheet metal ducts used for heating, air conditioning, or other purposes.

Estimated AI task exposure

Low exposure

V11 weights occupation tasks using O*NET Importance, Relevance and Frequency ratings instead of treating every task equally.

19 tasks have usable Task Rating records; weighted-task coverage is 100%.

Digital/info work

18/100

Physical moat

84/100

Human moat

34/100

Rating coverage

100%

19 task statements / 19 rated

Highest-weighted occupation tasks

Fasten seams or joints together with welds, bolts, cement, rivets, solder, caulks, metal drive clips, or bonds to assemble components into products or to repair sheet metal items.

Importance 79/100Relevance 94/100Frequency 70/100Weight 0.82

Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills.

Importance 72/100Relevance 91/100Frequency 83/100Weight 0.82

Determine project requirements, such as scope, assembly sequences, or required methods or materials, using blueprints, drawings, or written or verbal instructions.

Importance 72/100Relevance 97/100Frequency 68/100Weight 0.80

Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems.

Importance 80/100Relevance 86/100Frequency 68/100Weight 0.80

Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.

Importance 82/100Relevance 93/100Frequency 46/100Weight 0.77

Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation.

Importance 79/100Relevance 86/100Frequency 60/100Weight 0.77

Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks.

Importance 79/100Relevance 87/100Frequency 59/100Weight 0.77

Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers.

Importance 75/100Relevance 91/100Frequency 52/100Weight 0.75

Select gauges or types of sheet metal or nonmetallic material, according to product specifications.

Importance 68/100Relevance 99/100Frequency 41/100Weight 0.73

Trim, file, grind, deburr, buff, or smooth surfaces, seams, or joints of assembled parts, using hand tools or portable power tools.

Importance 64/100Relevance 79/100Frequency 62/100Weight 0.69

Task weighting

Each rated task receives a composite weight: 38% relevance, 37% importance and 25% frequency. Core tasks receive a small additional multiplier. Low-precision rows flagged by O*NET for suppression are excluded.

Occupation scoring

When rating coverage is strong, rated tasks contribute 60% of the digital, physical and human task signals and Work Activities contribute 40%. Lower-coverage occupations automatically rely more on Work Activities.

U.S. labor market

BLS Wage & Employment Outlook

Median annual wage

$61,800

BLS OEWS May 2025

National employment

119,770

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

+2.5%

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

Average annual openings

10

BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035

BLS labor-market figures are separate from the site's AI-exposure model. Missing values mean a compatible detailed BLS occupation estimate was not published or could not be mapped.

Career pivot radar

Safer Career Alternatives

These options are selected from the same 923-occupation model. They favor a similar task/work profile with meaningfully lower estimated AI exposure. They are suggestions for exploration, not guarantees of job fit.

SAFER ALTERNATIVE