Sheet Metal Workers Salary
The median pay for a sheet metal workers in Cedar Rapids, IA is $82,090/year ($39.47/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.96), which stretches that salary to about $92,277 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $956/month, or 18.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $82K get you in Cedar Rapids?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cedar Rapids’s Regional Price Parity (88.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About sheet metal workers
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What this looks like in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids sits well above the national pay line for sheet metal workers, local pay runs about 33% higher than the U.S. median of $62K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $956/month, 18.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.96 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Cedar Rapids offers a genuinely strong financial position for sheet metal workerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sheet metal workers in metros near Cedar Rapids, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $72K | $81K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $66K | $72K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $63K | $73K |
| Ames | $64K | $73K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cedar Rapids, IA
Entry-level sheet metal workers (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $46K spread from bottom to top.
Sheet Metal Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Sheet Metal Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $99K | +59% | 3,440 |
| Hawaii | $96K | +56% | 490 |
| Alaska | $95K | +53% | 240 |
| New Jersey | $93K | +50% | 2,790 |
| Illinois | $87K | +40% | 3,260 |
| Massachusetts | $82K | +33% | 2,890 |
| Connecticut | $79K | +27% | 1,480 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | +26% | 3,180 |
| California | $77K | +24% | 8,390 |
| Ohio | $75K | +21% | 4,180 |
| New York | $74K | +19% | 6,570 |
| Oregon | $74K | +19% | 3,250 |
| Minnesota | $73K | +18% | 2,980 |
| West Virginia | $72K | +17% | 540 |
| Iowa | $66K | +8% | 1,650 |
| Oklahoma | $66K | +6% | 2,820 |
| North Dakota | $65K | +5% | 290 |
| Rhode Island | $65K | +5% | 370 |
| Michigan | $64K | +4% | 4,000 |
| Nebraska | $64K | +4% | 440 |
| Indiana | $64K | +4% | 4,580 |
| Missouri | $64K | +3% | 2,640 |
| Utah | $63K | +2% | 1,810 |
| Kansas | $63K | +1% | 1,730 |
| Maryland | $63K | +1% | 1,940 |
| Maine | $62K | +1% | 830 |
| Delaware | $61K | -1% | 440 |
| Montana | $61K | -1% | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -1% | 3,260 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -2% | 2,210 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | -3% | 760 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -4% | 1,850 |
| Wyoming | $59K | -5% | 160 |
| Vermont | $58K | -6% | 370 |
| Colorado | $58K | -6% | 1,660 |
| Georgia | $57K | -8% | 3,590 |
| New Mexico | $57K | -8% | 640 |
| Texas | $54K | -12% | 9,540 |
| Virginia | $52K | -16% | 4,520 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -18% | 2,780 |
| Louisiana | $50K | -19% | 1,080 |
| Arizona | $50K | -19% | 3,060 |
| South Carolina | $50K | -19% | 1,710 |
| Florida | $50K | -20% | 8,040 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -20% | 1,260 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -23% | 320 |
| Alabama | $48K | -23% | 1,450 |
| Nevada | $47K | -24% | 1,270 |
| Idaho | $46K | -25% | 1,290 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -26% | 1,230 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track sheet metal workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Cedar Rapids numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a sheet metal worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cedar Rapids?
Yes — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 18.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $956/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for sheet metal workers in Cedar Rapids?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sheet metal workers typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,704/month. At HUD’s $956/month FMR, rent would take 35% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is sheet metal worker a high-paying job in Cedar Rapids?
Local pay is 33% above the national median — $82K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Cedar Rapids compare to the national average for sheet metal workers?
Cedar Rapids pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $92K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do sheet metal workers make in Cedar Rapids, IA?
The median is $82,090 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,060, and experienced sheet metal workers can clear $91,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Cedar Rapids?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,157/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $956/month, which eats 18.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a sheet metal workers salary go in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids has a Regional Price Parity of 88.96 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median sheet metal workers salary is worth about $92,277 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sheet metal workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.