Ironworker salary in South Bend, IN-MI
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Ironworkers in the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI area earn a median of $73,640 a year, or $35.41 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $93,070. That's 5% more than the Indiana median of $70,130.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $22.99/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 50
- After cost of living
- $79,300
- Median hourly pay
- $35.41/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +17%
- vs Indiana median
- +5%
Apprentice, journeyman and top ironworker pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $47,820–$60,470$22.99–$29.07/hr | |
| Journeyman | $73,640$35.41/hr | |
| Top earners | $92,430–$93,070$44.44–$44.74/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How South Bend, IN-MI compares
- South Bend ranks 4th of 9 Indiana metro areas for ironworker pay.
- Ironworkers hold about the same share of jobs in the South Bend area as nationally: 0.4 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $93,070, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,820: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Indiana metro areas
Other trades in South Bend, IN-MI
Questions
- How much do ironworkers make in South Bend, IN-MI?
- Ironworkers in the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI area earn a median of $73,640 a year, or $35.41 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $93,070.
- How much do ironworkers make an hour in South Bend, IN-MI?
- The median hourly wage is $35.41. The middle half earn between $29.07 and $44.44 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice ironworkers make in South Bend, IN-MI?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.99 an hour ($47,820 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.07.
- How much does a journeyman ironworker make in South Bend, IN-MI?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $73,640 a year ($35.41 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $92,430–$93,070.
- Do ironworkers make more in South Bend or Chicago?
- Chicago pays more: the median is $73,640 in South Bend and $102,350 in Chicago, a 28% difference.
- How does South Bend pay compare with the rest of Indiana?
- The South Bend median of $73,640 is 5% more than the Indiana median of $70,130.
About this data
Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 47-2221 (Structural Iron and Steel Workers), area code 43780 (South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed ironworkers and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (92.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures