How much does a sheet metal worker make in Japan?

In Japan, pay can vary with experience and skill certificates, and with employer size and type; roof, wall, and air-duct specialists do different work. Region, full- or part-time hours, and weather-related overtime can also matter.

What's a typical day like?

They check measurements, mark thin metal sheets, then cut and bend them with tools or machines. On site, they fasten roof or wall panels, gutters, or air ducts, checking the seams so rain stays out.

In Japan, no particular school or license is required; many start after school as trainees at a building sheet-metal business. Vocational training is another route, and passing the national skills test can qualify them as a certified building sheet-metal worker.

In Japan, a spinning metal sheet can be pressed with a rod into cups, sake vessels, and Buddhist altar fittings—a craft called hera-shibori.

Japan's figure is the average and the US figure is the median. Prices and exchange rates matter too, so it's a rough comparison.