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Role hub · Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Ironworker: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

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Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
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Median percentile pay

Half of ironworkers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$62,780
Hourly
$30.18
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Ironworkers raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. The median pay is $62,780 a year ($30.18 an hour) (BLS, May 2025).

Median pay
$62,780
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
68,380
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 1-2 of 5
very little to some preparation

Data Government data groups this job as Structural Iron and Steel Workers (O*NET-SOC 47-2221.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Key facts

Ironworkers at a glance

  • Structural iron and steel workers in the United States earned a median annual wage of $62,780 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for structural iron and steel workers in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of structural iron and steel workers in the United States to grow 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,900 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 68,380 people were employed as structural iron and steel workers in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Ironworkers

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The work

What ironworkers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
  2. Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
  3. Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
  4. Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
  5. Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
  6. Lift steel beams, girders, or columns using cranes or forklifts, or by signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift or position structural steel members.
  7. Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors.
  8. Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all ironworker jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Specialty trade contractors57.3% of all jobs in this occupation · +2.0% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $71,900
  2. Construction of buildings20.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +5.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $68,290
  3. Fabricated metal product manufacturing6.9% of all jobs in this occupation · +5.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $69,040
  4. Heavy and civil engineering construction5.9% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.8% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $76,020
  5. Primary metal manufacturing1.0% of all jobs in this occupation · +2.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $59,870
  6. Transportation equipment manufacturing0.8% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.4% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $57,860

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Operations MonitoringcoreOperation and ControlcoreCoordinationcoreJudgment and Decision MakingTime ManagementActive ListeningCritical ThinkingMonitoringComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge areas: Building and Construction, Public Safety and Security, Production and Processing, Mechanical, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service.

Tools and technology

Software ironworkers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Inventory tracking softwareInventory management software
  • Microsoft OutlookElectronic mail softwareHot technology
  • Cost estimating softwareProject management software
  • Project scheduling softwareProject management software
  • Turtle Creek Software GoldensealAccounting software

Also called: Field Iron Worker, Iron Worker, Steel Erector, Steel Fabricator, Steel Worker.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.