Ironworker career
BLS occupation: Structural Iron and Steel Workers (47-2221). Updated September 27, 2026.
Pay
Ironworkers in the U.S. earn a median of $62,780 a year, or $30.18 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data.
What ironworkers do
- Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
- Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
- Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
- Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
- Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
- Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors.
- Lift steel beams, girders, or columns using cranes or forklifts, or by signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift or position structural steel members.
- Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
The most important tasks, as rated by workers in the occupation. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Job outlook
BLS projects ironworker jobs will grow 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the 3.5% for all U.S. jobs, with about 5,900 openings a year as people join, retire, and change careers.
- Jobs in 2025
- 68,300
- Projected for 2035
- 70,400
- Openings a year
- 5,900
- Self-employed
- not published
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035. Job counts include self-employed workers.
Training
- Typical education to start
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Experience in a related job
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
Source: BLS Employment Projections. Licensing rules vary by state; confirm with your state's licensing board.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
- Boston–Cambridge–NewtonMA-NH$120,840
- Trenton–PrincetonNJ$116,360
- Seattle–Tacoma–BellevueWA$111,440
- San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa ClaraCA$109,440
- VallejoCA$106,900
- Philadelphia–Camden–WilmingtonPA-NJ-DE-MD$103,330
- Chicago–Naperville–ElginIL-IN$102,350
- New York–Newark–Jersey CityNY-NJ$102,060
- RockfordIL$100,290
- Providence–WarwickRI-MA$98,320
Other trades
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Excludes self-employed ironworkers.