Win· Before you ask
How much do sheet metal workers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
- Median
- $95,310/year
- Mean
- $85,620/year
Not one number. Five.
What sheet metal workers in Chicago, IL earn, from low to high.
Best-paying cities.
The same job pays more in some places.
- 1Seattle, WA$110k
- 2San Jose, CA$109k
- 3Chicago, IL$95k
- 4Kansas City, MO$83k
- 5Austin, TX$63k
- 6Denver, CO$62k
- 7Pittsburgh, PA$58k
- 8Atlanta, GA$57k
- 9Miami, FL$52k
- 10Phoenix, AZ$51k
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Sheet Metal Workers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: wage guide
Use the local pay range, same-source pay figures, job scale, price level, and survey limits as separate facts. This guide stays tied to SOC 47-2211 and BLS area 16980.
What the Sheet Metal Workers median says in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the Sheet Metal Workers median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at $95,310 per year. Median means the middle of the published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. The row is tied to SOC 47-2211 and BLS area 16980.
BLS lists 2,430 wage and salary jobs for this exact role-place row. That is a survey estimate. It is not a count of open posts. The local mean is $85,620 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN's Sheet Metal Workers median is 54.2% above the U.S. Sheet Metal Workers median of $61,800 on the same published median. Both values use the same job code and source date. They do not account for prices, taxes, benefits, hours, or your work history.
Read source key 47-2211 with area 16980
This page exists because the BLS artifact has one row for SOC 47-2211 and area 16980. SOC 47-2211 names Sheet Metal Workers. Area 16980 names Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.
The 47-2211/16980 row has 2,430 wage and salary jobs. There are 0.54 for each 1,000 local jobs. The location quotient is 0.7. Each value stays under the same job and area codes.
For 47-2211/16980, the annual median is $95,310 per year, while the matching mean is $85,620 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.
- 47-2211/16980 10th percentile: $42,220 per year.
- 47-2211/16980 25th percentile: $60,410 per year.
- 47-2211/16980 median: $95,310 per year.
- 47-2211/16980 75th percentile: $108,380 per year.
- 47-2211/16980 90th percentile: $122,330 per year.
- 47-2211/16980 employment RSE: 12.2%. Mean-wage RSE: 3.3%.
- 47-2211/16980 has no suppression mark in the fields shown on this page.
BLS area 16980 facts behind this Sheet Metal Workers page
Area 16980 reports 4,513,280 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $73,380. Its annual median is $54,720. The employment RSE is 0%. The mean-wage RSE is 0.3%. These are facts for the whole area. They do not replace the 47-2211 row.
The all-jobs wage ladder in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN runs from $34,260 at the 10th percentile to $130,790 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $38,480. The median is $54,720. The 75th percentile is $86,670. This is a place check, not a pay range for Sheet Metal Workers.
The source rows below are the six largest detailed roles in the bounded area file. Each keeps its own SOC code. They help a reader spot-check area 16980. They do not show related skills or a path into Sheet Metal Workers.
- 1. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand. Area: 16980. SOC: 53-7062. Jobs: 157,920. Yearly median: $40,550. Jobs per 1,000: 34.99. Location quotient: 1.84.
- 2. General and Operations Managers. Area: 16980. SOC: 11-1021. Jobs: 122,930. Yearly median: $109,390. Jobs per 1,000: 27.24. Location quotient: 1.21.
- 3. Home Health and Personal Care Aides. Area: 16980. SOC: 31-1120. Jobs: 108,520. Yearly median: $38,180. Jobs per 1,000: 24.04. Location quotient: 0.87.
- 4. Registered Nurses. Area: 16980. SOC: 29-1141. Jobs: 100,240. Yearly median: $100,490. Jobs per 1,000: 22.21. Location quotient: 1.02.
- 5. Cashiers. Area: 16980. SOC: 41-2011. Jobs: 99,240. Yearly median: $35,010. Jobs per 1,000: 21.99. Location quotient: 1.11.
- 6. Fast Food and Counter Workers. Area: 16980. SOC: 35-3023. Jobs: 97,280. Yearly median: $34,630. Jobs per 1,000: 21.55. Location quotient: 0.87.
Read the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN wage ladder for Sheet Metal Workers
The 10th percentile is $42,220 per year. The 25th percentile is $60,410 per year. The median is $95,310 per year. The 75th percentile is $108,380 per year. The 90th percentile is $122,330 per year.
A percentile is a rank point, not a career stage. The 10th percentile does not mean new-worker pay. The 90th percentile does not mean a wage that comes after a set number of years. The points show how the wage values spread in the source. They do not say why one job sits at one point.
The middle half runs from $60,410 per year to $108,380 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $80,110. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.
Compare Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN with its state and the U.S.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has a annual median of $95,310 per year. Illinois has $86,630 per year. The U.S. row has $61,800 per year. WageScope keeps annual and hourly values apart.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 10.0% above Illinois on the same published median. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 54.2% above the United States on the same published median. A gap can reflect many things that are not in this row. WageScope reports the gap but does not name a cause.
The state and U.S. rows are benchmarks, not replacements. They do not fill missing local facts. A state can hold many local labor markets. A national row can hold many states. Read the local row first, then use the broader rows to see scale.
Where Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN sits for Sheet Metal Workers
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ranks 8 of 275 among metro areas with a published annual median for Sheet Metal Workers. The list keeps one SOC code, one map type, one wage metric, and one BLS release. It skips rows without the matching median.
Rank 8 of 275 is not a place score. A small wage gap can move a row several spots. The rank does not add local prices, job count, concentration, commute, taxes, or work rules. Use it only to find where the published median falls inside this like-for-like set.
The nearby rows below are the closest ranks, not chosen cities. Their pay, job counts, and local shares can differ. Open a peer page before making a deeper comparison. A title and one number are not enough for a move or pay choice.
- 5. Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ. The Sheet Metal Workers median is $100,470 per year. BLS estimates 150 jobs. The location quotient is 1.17.
- 6. Anchorage, AK. The Sheet Metal Workers median is $98,070 per year. BLS estimates 160 jobs. The location quotient is 1.17.
- 7. Kennewick-Richland, WA. The Sheet Metal Workers median is $96,000 per year. BLS estimates 190 jobs. The location quotient is 1.88.
- 9. Urban Honolulu, HI. The Sheet Metal Workers median is $93,380 per year. BLS estimates 440 jobs. The location quotient is 1.27.
- 10. Michigan City-La Porte, IN. The Sheet Metal Workers median is $93,350 per year. BLS estimates 50 jobs. The location quotient is 1.67.
- 11. Champaign-Urbana, IL. The Sheet Metal Workers median is $92,710 per year. BLS estimates 110 jobs. The location quotient is 1.34.
Where Sheet Metal Workers medians lead among metro areas
The rows below use the same SOC 47-2211, the same annual median, the same May 2025 BLS release, and the same metro map type. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has the highest published median in this set, at $109,830 per year. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN sits at $95,310 per year.
A pay lead is one fact. It does not show the size of the job base. It does not show how common Sheet Metal Workers is in the local mix. It also does not add local prices. The bullets keep the median, job count, and location quotient together so a high wage is not read as a full market score.
Use this list to choose a deeper pair, not to choose a place. Open the two local pages. Check the full wage ladder, the job scale, the survey limits, and the exact BEA price row when present. A missing median stays out of this rank instead of becoming zero.
- 1. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has a Sheet Metal Workers median of $109,830 per year, or $14,520 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 2,190 jobs there, compared with 2,430 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 1.36.
- 2. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has a Sheet Metal Workers median of $109,280 per year, or $13,970 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 750 jobs there, compared with 2,430 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 0.86.
- 3. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA has a Sheet Metal Workers median of $102,660 per year, or $7,350 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 880 jobs there, compared with 2,430 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 0.48.
- 4. Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA has a Sheet Metal Workers median of $100,650 per year, or $5,340 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 100 jobs there, compared with 2,430 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 1.01.
- 5. Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ has a Sheet Metal Workers median of $100,470 per year, or $5,160 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 150 jobs there, compared with 2,430 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 1.17.
- 6. Anchorage, AK has a Sheet Metal Workers median of $98,070 per year, or $2,760 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 160 jobs there, compared with 2,430 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 1.17.
- 7. Kennewick-Richland, WA has a Sheet Metal Workers median of $96,000 per year, or $690 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 190 jobs there, compared with 2,430 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 1.88.
- 8. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has a Sheet Metal Workers median of $95,310 per year, or $0 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. BLS lists 2,430 jobs there, compared with 2,430 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The location quotient is 0.7.
Where BLS counts the most Sheet Metal Workers jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has the largest published metro job estimate for Sheet Metal Workers in this same-source set, at 6,080 jobs. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has 2,430. The count shows covered job scale, not open posts.
A large job base can have a lower median than a smaller one. It can also have a location quotient near or below 1. That is why WageScope does not blend job count, pay, and local share. Each field keeps its name and unit. The rows below let you compare all three without making one score.
Current MeritLog listings can add a dated view of employer-title matches. They do not change this May 2025 order. A place with few current cards can still have a large BLS job estimate. A place with several cards can still have a smaller estimate. The sources use different clocks and scopes.
- 1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has 6,080 estimated Sheet Metal Workers jobs, a gap of 3,650 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $76,730 per year, or $18,580 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.83.
- 2. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX has 2,890 estimated Sheet Metal Workers jobs, a gap of 460 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $56,240 per year, or $39,070 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.93.
- 3. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX has 2,610 estimated Sheet Metal Workers jobs, a gap of 180 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $51,870 per year, or $43,440 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 1.03.
- 4. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ has 2,550 estimated Sheet Metal Workers jobs, a gap of 120 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $51,230 per year, or $44,080 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 1.39.
- 5. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA has 2,440 estimated Sheet Metal Workers jobs, a gap of 10 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $72,710 per year, or $22,600 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.5.
- 6. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has 2,430 estimated Sheet Metal Workers jobs, a gap of 0 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $95,310 per year, or $0 above Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 0.7.
- 7. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI has 2,340 estimated Sheet Metal Workers jobs, a gap of 90 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $72,970 per year, or $22,340 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 1.56.
- 8. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH has 2,330 estimated Sheet Metal Workers jobs, a gap of 100 jobs from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its median is $82,550 per year, or $12,760 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Its location quotient is 1.12.
How common Sheet Metal Workers is in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
BLS lists 2,430 Sheet Metal Workers jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. It also lists 0.54 jobs per 1,000 local jobs. Jobs per 1,000 turns the count into a rate. It helps compare places of different size. It does not show open posts or hiring speed.
The location quotient is 0.7. A value of 1 means Sheet Metal Workers has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is lower than 1. The quotient is a share check, not a wage or a growth measure.
Read the three values as separate facts. Employment asks how many covered jobs BLS estimated. Jobs per 1,000 asks how much of the local job base the role takes. Location quotient asks how that share compares with the national share. None of them tells you how many posts are open today.
Sheet Metal Workers beside other roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
The all-occupations median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $54,720 per year. The Sheet Metal Workers median is $95,310 per year. Sheet Metal Workers is 74.2% above the local all-occupations median on the same published median. This compares one role with the full covered job mix.
The nearby role medians below come from the bounded detailed-role table for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. They are close by wage, not by task. A small wage gap does not mean two jobs need the same skill or lead to the same career. Official titles keep their own SOC codes and source rows.
Use the list to spot the local wage mix around Sheet Metal Workers. Then open the role page you mean. A role can have a similar median and a very different job count or local share. The pay number alone cannot show fit, demand, or a path between jobs.
- 1. Registered Nurses, SOC 29-1141, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $100,490 per year. BLS lists 100,240 jobs and a location quotient of 1.02.
- 2. Management Analysts, SOC 13-1111, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $105,090 per year. BLS lists 37,510 jobs and a location quotient of 1.44.
- 3. Accountants and Auditors, SOC 13-2011, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $82,360 per year. BLS lists 41,360 jobs and a location quotient of 0.98.
- 4. General and Operations Managers, SOC 11-1021, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $109,390 per year. BLS lists 122,930 jobs and a location quotient of 1.21.
- 5. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, SOC 25-2021, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $78,390 per year. BLS lists 45,840 jobs and a location quotient of 1.14.
- 6. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products, SOC 41-4012, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $75,350 per year. BLS lists 38,490 jobs and a location quotient of 1.07.
- 7. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers, SOC 43-1011, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $71,730 per year. BLS lists 33,180 jobs and a location quotient of 0.8.
- 8. Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel, SOC 41-3091, has a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median of $70,710 per year. BLS lists 55,730 jobs and a location quotient of 1.53.
The largest detailed roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN table, at 157,920 jobs. Sheet Metal Workers has 2,430 jobs in its exact role-place row. The two counts show where this role sits beside other large parts of the local job base.
The all-occupations job count is 4,513,280. The detailed list below is only a bounded view of that larger mix. It does not sum to every local job. It does not include a blank role as zero. It helps explain why one role's wage and job count should not stand in for the whole area.
A large role can have a lower median. A smaller role can have a higher one. Job count does not show current posts, job quality, or growth. Use the list to see local scale. Then keep Sheet Metal Workers's own median, spread, and share in their own fields.
- 1. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand has 157,920 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 155,490 from Sheet Metal Workers. Its median is $40,550 per year, or $54,760 below Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.84.
- 2. General and Operations Managers has 122,930 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 120,500 from Sheet Metal Workers. Its median is $109,390 per year, or $14,080 above Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.21.
- 3. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has 108,520 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 106,090 from Sheet Metal Workers. Its median is $38,180 per year, or $57,130 below Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 0.87.
- 4. Registered Nurses has 100,240 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 97,810 from Sheet Metal Workers. Its median is $100,490 per year, or $5,180 above Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.02.
- 5. Cashiers has 99,240 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 96,810 from Sheet Metal Workers. Its median is $35,010 per year, or $60,300 below Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.11.
- 6. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 97,280 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 94,850 from Sheet Metal Workers. Its median is $34,630 per year, or $60,680 below Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 0.87.
- 7. Retail Salespersons has 96,950 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 94,520 from Sheet Metal Workers. Its median is $35,820 per year, or $59,490 below Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 0.86.
- 8. Stockers and Order Fillers has 79,850 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, a gap of 77,420 from Sheet Metal Workers. Its median is $38,450 per year, or $56,860 below Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 0.97.
Published role medians around Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Financial Managers has the highest published median in the bounded Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN role table, at $168,810 per year. Sheet Metal Workers has $95,310 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.
The local all-occupations median is $54,720 per year. A role above that mark is not better. A role below it is not worse. The mark only shows where the role's published median sits against the full covered job mix. Job tasks, level, hours, and work setting are separate facts.
The bullets keep each SOC title, job count, median, and local share together. Use them to find a role page worth opening. Do not use a close median as proof that two roles share skills or that one is a path to the other.
- 1. Financial Managers has a median of $168,810 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $73,500 above Sheet Metal Workers. BLS lists 41,590 jobs, compared with 2,430 for Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.7.
- 2. Software Developers has a median of $134,380 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $39,070 above Sheet Metal Workers. BLS lists 40,370 jobs, compared with 2,430 for Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 0.82.
- 3. General and Operations Managers has a median of $109,390 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $14,080 above Sheet Metal Workers. BLS lists 122,930 jobs, compared with 2,430 for Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.21.
- 4. Management Analysts has a median of $105,090 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $9,780 above Sheet Metal Workers. BLS lists 37,510 jobs, compared with 2,430 for Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.44.
- 5. Registered Nurses has a median of $100,490 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $5,180 above Sheet Metal Workers. BLS lists 100,240 jobs, compared with 2,430 for Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.02.
- 6. Accountants and Auditors has a median of $82,360 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $12,950 below Sheet Metal Workers. BLS lists 41,360 jobs, compared with 2,430 for Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 0.98.
- 7. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education has a median of $78,390 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $16,920 below Sheet Metal Workers. BLS lists 45,840 jobs, compared with 2,430 for Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.14.
- 8. Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products has a median of $75,350 per year in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, or $19,960 below Sheet Metal Workers. BLS lists 38,490 jobs, compared with 2,430 for Sheet Metal Workers. Its location quotient is 1.07.
What $95,310 may mean after the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN price level
BEA's 2024 all-items price index for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 103.6. The U.S. level is 100. The local level is 3.6% above that mark. This is a broad price comparison. It is not a personal budget.
WageScope divides the $95,310 Sheet Metal Workers median by 103.6 divided by 100. The result is $92,003 in national-price dollars per year. This proxy keeps the math clear. It is not take-home pay and does not set a move target.
Housing is 112.0. Goods are 107.3. Utilities are 83.6. Other services are 100.5. The parts do not move as one. WageScope uses BEA's all-items index for the proxy and does not make its own basket.
How much care to use with the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN row
The employment RSE for this Sheet Metal Workers row is 12.2%. The mean-wage RSE is 3.3%. RSE means relative standard error. It is a survey precision flag. A smaller value often means less sampling uncertainty. It is not the chance that one person's pay is right or wrong.
The employment RSE belongs to the 2,430 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $85,620 mean. BLS does not give the same RSE field for the median or every percentile. WageScope does not move an RSE from one field to another.
A local row can change in a new release. A small role-place sample can also have more survey uncertainty than a broad national row. Keep the May 2025 date next to the value. Do not mix a newer job post with the BLS date as if both facts came from one clock.
Use Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN wage data before you tailor
The job block looks for strict employer-title matches to Sheet Metal Workers. It uses a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN place filter only when the public place list has an exact approved match. If that match is not safe, the page says the jobs are not narrowed to this place. A false negative is safer than showing a different role.
Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. Listings can change between visits while the survey figures stay tied to their release date. A listing range does not replace the $95,310 BLS median. The listing and survey answer different questions.
Open one listing. Check its level, work place, pay range, and needs. Then tailor with work facts you can support. Do not turn a wage, job count, rank, or price proxy into a résumé claim. The public page is read only. It does not save a job or start a draft on load.
What the Sheet Metal Workers row for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN does not claim
The row does not say what one person earns. It does not promise a job, offer, raise, or move result. It does not say why the local median differs from the U.S. row. It does not add tips, bonus pay, stock, benefits, taxes, or work hours unless those items are in the BLS wage measure.
The 2,430 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 0.7 is not a growth score. Rank 8 of 275 is not a place score. The 103.6 price index is not a personal budget.
Use the row for one clear task. Read the May 2025 wage spread for SOC 47-2211 in BLS area 16980. Compare the same metric with the state and U.S. rows. Add the separate 2024 price level when present. Inspect a dated job match. Then use confirmed work facts for a résumé.