Short version: A strong sheet metal worker résumé proves three things fast — that you hold the card and segment the shop is staffing (SMART Local + segment: service / install / TAB / fab shop / industrial vent), that you speak SMACNA and name the equipment (coilline, plasma table, TIG on stainless, Alnor / Shortridge instruments), and that you ran real projects (TCV, tonnage, leak-rate, first-visit fix rate). Keep it to one page (two for foremen), and put OSHA 30 and NEBB TAB — if you have them — in the header.
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What a sheet metal worker actually does
A Sheet Metal Worker (BLS SOC 47-2211) fabricates, installs, and services ductwork, ventilation, and metal-fabrication assemblies across commercial HVAC, industrial ventilation, architectural cladding, roofing, and specialty applications. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts roughly 660,000 people in the role. Most sheet metal workers hold a journeyman card through SMART Local (Sheet Metal Workers' International Association) or work non-union with an ICB certification, and specialize by segment: TAB (test-and-balance), service, install (mostly HVAC), fab shop, industrial vent, architectural, or roofing. The résumé must speak to the segment — a service tech's résumé should say "roof-top VAV" and "airflow readings"; a fab shop journeyman's résumé should say "coilline" and "plasma table."
On a typical week, a sheet metal worker will:
- Read prints and specs — mechanical drawings, submittals, and shop drawings. Layout duct runs and fabrication cut lists.
- Fabricate ductwork — coilline, brake press, shear, plasma or laser table, spot welder, TIG for stainless — to SMACNA standards.
- Install duct systems — rough-in and trim on new commercial construction, coordinate with MEP trades, and hang duct to spec.
- Perform service and TAB — troubleshoot RTUs, AHUs, and VAV boxes; take airflow and pressure readings; balance the system.
- Sign off on quality — leak-test, verify insulation and hangers, run the punch, and pass the mechanical inspection with the AHJ.
- Own safety — fall protection, aerial lifts, hot work, silica exposure, respirator fit-test, LOTO in industrial settings.
What hiring managers & ATS look for
- Union card and local. "SMART Local 105 Journeyman" is a two-second credential check.
- Segment specialty by name. Service, install, TAB, fab shop, industrial vent, architectural.
- SMACNA fluency. The specification that governs duct construction. Named in every posting.
- Equipment by name. Coilline (Iowa Precision, Whisper, Lockformer), plasma table (Hypertherm), TAB instruments (Alnor, Shortridge, TSI).
- Certifications. OSHA 30, Confined Space, Fall Protection, TAB (NEBB or AABC), silica competent person.
- Project TCV and building type. "Fabricated and installed HVAC ductwork on a $32M office ground-up" signals the level of coordination.
Full sheet metal worker resume example
Professional Summary
Sheet metal journeyman with 9 years across commercial HVAC service, install, and test-and-balance. SMART Local 33 card. NEBB TAB certified since 2022. Runs roof-top and AHU service on 300+ commercial buildings across northeast Ohio; installs duct on ground-up commercial projects up to $46M TCV. Fluent SMACNA to the tick-mark; certified on Lockformer coilline and Hypertherm plasma. Trusted foreman-adjacent on a three-person install crew; TIG certified on stainless duct for cleanroom fit-out.
Certifications & Training
SMART Local 33 Journeyman (2016) · OSHA 30 · Confined Space Certified · Aerial Lift & Scissor Lift · Fall Protection Competent Person · NEBB TAB Certified (2022) · TIG welding certified · Silica Awareness · CDL Class B
Core Skills
Install: Duct rough-in and trim on new commercial construction; hanger and support (SMACNA); coordination with MEP trades; insulation types (fiberglass, elastomeric); pressure classes 1"–10"; leak testing
Fab shop: Coilline (Lockformer), brake press, shear, plasma (Hypertherm) & laser table, spot welder, TIG for stainless, coil punch, TDF connections
Reading & spec: SMACNA HVAC Duct Construction Standard, ASHRAE 62.1 & 90.1 fundamentals, mechanical prints, submittals, shop drawings, isometric riser diagrams
Safety: Fall protection, LOTO, silica exposure, hot work, aerial & scissor lift ops, confined space, respirator fit-test
Tools: Trimble Field-Link, Autodesk Fabrication CAMduct (working knowledge), Excel, Procore, PlanGrid
Other: Bilingual English/German (limited); mentor to 3 apprentices in Local 33
Professional Experience
- Runs roof-top and AHU service on a rotating book of 60 commercial accounts; consistent 92% first-visit fix rate across the last three quarters.
- NEBB-certified TAB reports on 28 building startups and rebalances in 2024; zero call-backs on submitted reports.
- Reduced planned-maintenance time on 12 large-fleet accounts by ~14% via better route planning in the branch scheduling tool.
- Mentored 3 apprentices on TAB instrumentation, refrigerant handling, and SMACNA duct-leak testing.
- Fabricated and installed ~62,000 lbs of HVAC duct across the building's 12 floors; passed the mechanical inspection on the first walk.
- Ran the duct leakage test per SMACNA class-A pressure classes; leak rate came in at 2.3% of allowable.
- Coordinated with sprinkler and electrical trades on 84 above-ceiling BIM conflicts; resolved in shop-drawing revisions.
- TIG welded stainless duct on the building's cleanroom lab fit-out under quality control per SMACNA class-6 leakage.
- Completed 4-year Local 33 apprenticeship in 2016; ranked #3 of 22 in the apprentice class on the shop test-out.
- Rotated across fab shop (Lockformer coilline, plasma table, brake press) and field install; TIG welding certified in 2018.
Education
SMART Local 33 Apprenticeship (4-year) — Cleveland, OH · 2016
NEBB TAB Certification — 2022
OSHA 30 (recertification current) · Ongoing: Autodesk Fabrication CAMduct training
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A realistic pay range
Compensation for sheet metal workers varies by union scale, region, and specialty. In the United States most Sheet Metal Workers earn between $52,000 and $95,000 a year, with a national median annual wage near $58,780 and a top-decile north of $102,000 based on Bureau of Labor Statistics OES data for occupation code 47-2211. Union journeymen in high-cost metros — New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and DC — routinely clear $100,000–$140,000 on the current SMART Local scale plus fringe benefits (health, pension, annuity). NEBB TAB-certified journeymen add $3–$8 per hour in most locals. Sheet metal foremen and general foremen on high-rise or industrial projects reach $120,000–$170,000.
- What pushes you up the band: NEBB or AABC TAB certification, TIG welding on stainless (cleanroom / pharma), Autodesk Fabrication CAMduct or Trimble Field-Link fluency, foreman-adjacent leadership, and any industrial-vent or architectural work.
- What anchors the number: region (union locals vary widely), segment (service and TAB anchor mid; install high; fab shop lower-hourly but steady), and whether the role is straight scale or scale-plus-per-diem on a project away from your local.
Common sheet metal worker résumé mistakes
Frequently asked questions
A one-page single-column résumé with SMART Local and card date in the header, OSHA 30 and NEBB TAB (if applicable) up top, a short summary that names your segment (service, install, TAB, fab shop, industrial vent, architectural), a certifications block, a core-skills grid organized by segment / fab shop / install / safety / tools, two to three roles with quantified bullets (TCV, tonnage, leakage rate, first-visit fix rate), and an apprenticeship + continuing-ed line.
One page for most journeymen; two pages for foremen and general foremen with a long project sheet. Mechanical contractor recruiters scan the first page for card, segment, TAB certification, and largest TCV; a project sheet on page two closes the loop.
SMACNA fluency, TAB (NEBB or AABC), coilline (Lockformer or equivalent) and plasma-table experience, TIG welding on stainless for cleanroom or pharma, RTU/AHU/VAV service, airflow and static-pressure instrumentation (Alnor, Shortridge, TSI), Autodesk Fabrication CAMduct or Trimble Field-Link, OSHA 30, confined space, and silica competent-person training.
TCV of the project, tonnage or linear feet fabricated and installed, leakage-rate percentage against SMACNA class, first-visit fix rate on service, number of TAB reports and call-back rate, apprentices mentored, hours worked without a recordable incident, and above-ceiling BIM conflicts resolved.
A four-to-six-line summary. Name your card status and years since journeyman, your primary segment, the largest project TCV you've worked, your NEBB certification if applicable, and one skill signal — TIG welding, cleanroom stainless, industrial vent.
Lead with your Local and current year of apprenticeship. Add OSHA 10 or 30, aerial lift and scissor lift, and any welding or torch experience. List the tools you've been trained on. Include shop-test-out rank if strong. Close with availability and travel.
Single-column, reverse-chronological, standard section headings, and a .pdf. Avoid two-column layouts and icons. Use standard headings — Summary, Certifications, Skills, Experience, Education — and mirror the posting's phrasing on segment, TAB, and welding processes.
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