Ironworker salary in Charlotte, NC-SC
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Ironworkers in the Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, NC-SC area earn a median of $48,290 a year, or $23.22 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $63,530. Statewide, ironworkers earn a median of $48,740; Charlotte is 1% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.90/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 550
- After cost of living
- $49,610
- Median hourly pay
- $23.22/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −23%
- vs North Carolina median
- −1%
Apprentice, journeyman and top ironworker pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $39,320–$46,120$18.90–$22.17/hr | |
| Journeyman | $48,290$23.22/hr | |
| Top earners | $58,020–$63,530$27.90–$30.54/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Charlotte, NC-SC compares
- Charlotte ranks 4th of 5 North Carolina metro areas for ironworker pay.
- Ironworkers hold about the same share of jobs in the Charlotte area as nationally: 0.4 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $63,530, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,320: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other North Carolina metro areas
Other trades in Charlotte, NC-SC
Questions
- How much do ironworkers make in Charlotte, NC-SC?
- Ironworkers in the Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, NC-SC area earn a median of $48,290 a year, or $23.22 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $63,530.
- How much do ironworkers make an hour in Charlotte, NC-SC?
- The median hourly wage is $23.22. The middle half earn between $22.17 and $27.90 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice ironworkers make in Charlotte, NC-SC?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.90 an hour ($39,320 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.17.
- How much does a journeyman ironworker make in Charlotte, NC-SC?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $48,290 a year ($23.22 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $58,020–$63,530.
- Do ironworkers make more in Charlotte or Virginia Beach?
- Virginia Beach pays more: the median is $48,290 in Charlotte and $58,630 in Virginia Beach, a 18% difference.
- How does Charlotte pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?
- The Charlotte median of $48,290 is 1% less than the North Carolina median of $48,740.
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 16740 (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC). 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 (97.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures