Sheet Metal Workers Salary
The median pay for a sheet metal workers in Tuscaloosa, AL is $48,120/year ($23.14/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.72), which stretches that salary to about $54,856 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,169/month, about 35.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Tuscaloosa?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tuscaloosa’s Regional Price Parity (87.72). 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 Tuscaloosa
Pay for sheet metal workers in Tuscaloosa runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,169/month, which is 36.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for sheet metal workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sheet metal workers in metros near Tuscaloosa, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $48K | $52K |
| Huntsville | $51K | $55K |
| Montgomery | $51K | $57K |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $49K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tuscaloosa, AL
Entry-level sheet metal workers (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $32K 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 Tuscaloosa numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a sheet metal worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tuscaloosa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 36.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,169/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Tuscaloosa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sheet metal workers typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,500/month. At HUD’s $1,169/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 Tuscaloosa?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $48K here vs. $62K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tuscaloosa compare to the national average for sheet metal workers?
Tuscaloosa pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do sheet metal workers make in Tuscaloosa, AL?
The median is $48,120 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,670, and experienced sheet metal workers can clear $73,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Tuscaloosa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,205/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,169/month, which eats 36.5% 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 Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa has a Regional Price Parity of 87.72 (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 $54,856 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.