Sheetmetal Worker
A sheetmetal worker fabricates, assembles, and installs sheet metal components in manufacturing, construction, and maintenance environments across Australia. They interpret technical drawings and specifications to cut, bend, form, and join sheet metal using hand tools, power tools, and specialised machinery.
What this job is
A sheetmetal worker fabricates, assembles, and installs sheet metal components in manufacturing, construction, and maintenance environments across Australia. They interpret technical drawings and specifications to cut, bend, form, and join sheet metal using hand tools, power tools, and specialised machinery. The role involves precision work to produce ducting, panels, flashings, and structural components that meet Australian Standards and customer requirements.
Are employers advertising this role?
Falling, down 16.4% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Interpret technical drawings and specifications to determine cutting, bending, and forming requirements for sheet metal components. Measure and mark sheet metal using rulers, tape measures, and marking gauges according to job specifications. Operate guillotines, shears, and plasma cutting equipment to cut sheet metal to precise dimensions. Bend and form sheet metal using press brakes, bending machines, and hand tools such as mallets and stakes. Assemble sheet metal components using rivets, bolts, welds, and adhesives according to design specifications. Perform welding operations on sheet metal joints using MIG, TIG, or stick welding techniques where required. Install sheet metal components such as roof flashings, guttering, ducting, and wall cladding on buildings and structures. Inspect finished components for dimensional accuracy, surface finish, and structural integrity using measuring instruments and visual assessment.
Who does this now
About 5,300 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation had trouble finding suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
You'll need to get welding and machinery certifications before employers take you seriously, which costs time and money upfront. The work is repetitive and physically demanding on your hands, shoulders and back. Pay stays modest even with experience: it doesn't climb like some trades. Automation is already cutting into fabrication jobs in factories.
Where the jobs are
Regional areas have steady demand in construction and maintenance, but fewer employers means less choice. Most jobs are on-site at workshops or building sites: remote work doesn't exist in this trade. HVAC contractors, metal fabrication shops, and construction companies are your main employers.
Skills
- Attention to Detailcore
- Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
- Chemical technologies in metal manufacturecore
- Clip sheet metal objects togethercore
- Incident Reportingcore
- Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Time Managementcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Workload Self-Managementcore
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Cast metal
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Inventory Tracking
- Process Improvement Identification
- Purchase Order Processing
- Supplier Communication
- Written Communication
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
What Sheetmetal Worker move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
Want a hand with what comes next? The 12-week Sprint covers your resume, LinkedIn and interview practice, with up to three coach reviews of a targeted resume or an application from an Australian career coach, for A$299 paid once. Before you decide anything, you can read who we are or send us a question.