Sheet Metal Workers Salary
The median pay for a sheet metal workers in Lincoln, NE is $52,740/year ($25.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.58), which stretches that salary to about $57,589 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,141/month, about 32.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $53K actually covers in Lincoln, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lincoln’s Regional Price Parity (91.58). 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 Lincoln
Pay for sheet metal workers in Lincoln runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $62K. Rent runs $1,141/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.58 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sheet metal workers in metros near Lincoln, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $75K | $82K |
| Kansas City | $83K | $90K |
| St. Louis | $66K | $69K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $62K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lincoln, NE
Entry-level sheet metal workers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $64K 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 annually. We'll email you when Lincoln numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a sheet metal worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lincoln?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 32.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,141/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for sheet metal workers in Lincoln?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sheet metal workers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,196/month. At HUD’s $1,141/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Lincoln?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $53K here vs. $62K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lincoln compare to the national average for sheet metal workers?
Lincoln pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do sheet metal workers make in Lincoln, NE?
The median is $52,740 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,250, and experienced sheet metal workers can clear $94,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Lincoln?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,539/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,141/month, which eats 32.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a sheet metal workers salary go in Lincoln?
Lincoln has a Regional Price Parity of 91.58 (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 $57,589 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.