ironworker salary in Raleigh, NC
Pay data not published for structural iron and steel workers in Raleigh.
BLS did not publish pay data for this combination
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish figures for some trade and city combinations, often when the sample is too small. This applies to structural iron and steel workers in Raleigh.
Worker-submitted rates appear below when available.
Structural Iron and Steel Workers pay trend in Raleigh, 2015 to 2025
The BLS did not publish a May 2025 figure for this combination. Earlier published years are shown.
+16.4% since May 2015
Dashed markers are years BLS didn’t publish this combination. Shown as gaps, never interpolated.
How to become an ironworker in North Carolina
In FY2024, North Carolina had 13 active ironworker apprentices (#40 of 51 jurisdictions) out of 10,308 nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship database. A registered apprenticeship is one paid route into the trade: on-the-job training combined with classroom instruction.
Active ironworker apprentices in North Carolina (statewide, FY2024)
13
10,308 nationwide · North Carolina ranks #40 of 51 jurisdictions
Jurisdictions with the most active ironworker apprentices, FY2024, top 10
- 01California2,947
- 02Texas1,537
- 03Ohio832
- 04Indiana436
- 05Illinois427
- 06Missouri408
- 07Michigan357
- 08Florida286
- 09Nevada265
- 10Pennsylvania254
Ironworker apprenticeship training
A registered ironworker apprenticeship combines paid work with classroom instruction. Employers, unions, and trade associations run programs registered with the U.S. Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency.
- Paid work
Learn the trade on the job. Apprentice wages rise as skills develop.
- Classroom training
Study alongside supervised work. Programs typically last several years.
- License requirements
In licensed trades such as electrical and plumbing, apprenticeship hours usually count toward the state license. Requirements depend on the trade and state.
Search open programs at Apprenticeship.gov, the Department of Labor’s apprenticeship site.
Apprenticeship data sources and occupation titles
Active apprentice counts from the DOL Registered Apprenticeship, FY2024 database (RAPIDS): distinct apprentices by apprentice state (DOL defines this as the apprentice’s location; records from state apprenticeship agencies use the program’s state). Figures are statewide and are the same on every city page in the state. Occupation was not reported for 34.0% of active apprentices, so trade-level counts understate the true pipeline. DOL occupation titles counted: “STRUCTURAL STEEL WORKER (Alternate Titles: Ironworker or Structural Ironworker)”, “REINFORCING METAL WORKER (Alternate Title: Ironworker Reinforcing Concrete)”, “ORNAMENTAL IRONWORKER (Alternate Title: Architectural & Ornamental Ironworker)”, “Ironworker”, “Iron Worker”, “Iron Worker (Construction)”. U.S. Department of Labor dataset.
Union vs nonunion pay for structural iron and steel workers
Full-time union members in this occupation group have median weekly earnings of $1,561, versus $1,004 for nonunion workers: a 55.5% union wage premium, or about $557 more per week. The Bureau of Labor Statistics cautions that these comparisons do not account for age, firm size, industry, or geography. These are the official national figures.
Union wage premium, 2025 (est. from national medians)
+55.5%
$1,561/week union vs $1,004/week nonunion (across all workers: +19.6%)
Median weekly earnings, full-time workers, 2025
Union wage premium by trade, ranked
- 01Electricians+55.5%
- 02Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters+55.5%
- 03Carpenters+55.5%
- 04Painters (Construction & Maintenance)+55.5%
- 05Roofers+55.5%
- 06Structural Iron and Steel Workers+55.5%
- 07Sheet Metal Workers+55.5%
- 08Brickmasons and Blockmasons+55.5%
- 09Glaziers+55.5%
- 10Heavy Equipment Operators+55.5%
- 11Insulation Workers+55.5%
- 12Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers+52.0%
- 13HVAC Technicians+37.8%
- 14Automotive Service Technicians+37.8%
- 15Maintenance & Repair Workers+37.8%
- 16Welders+22.9%
Median usual weekly earnings from the 2025 BLS Current Population Survey, union membership annual release (Table 4): full-time wage and salary workers, sole or principal job. BLS publishes union-earnings figures for the broader group “Construction and extraction occupations”; these premiums are national. All self-employed workers are excluded. 2025 is an 11-month average (October not collected during the federal shutdown).
Related trades
Related trades to compare
Entry difficulty: Job Zone 2: very little to some preparation needed.
O*NET lists these occupations as related to structural iron and steel workers, ranked by national median pay. Each link shows the same Raleigh page for that trade.
- Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters$30.67/hr US median
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons$29.87/hr US median
- Sheet Metal Workers$29.71/hr US median
- Carpenters$29.12/hr US median
- Maintenance & Repair Workers$23.84/hr US median
Related occupations and Job Zones: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor.
Pay by industry
Where structural iron and steel workers earn the most
Top 8 of 31 published industries by national median hourly pay. These are national figures, not Raleigh pay.
Industry pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Industries with suppressed BLS figures are not listed.
Structural Iron and Steel Workers: compare two cities
Pick any two cities to compare structural iron and steel workers pay side by side: nominal medians, the middle-50% spread, and cost-of-living adjusted figures.
Raleigh
NC · Structural Iron and Steel Workers
n/a/hr
Median hourly pay
- Jobs in the city
- n/a
- Cost-of-living adjustednew
- n/a
Adjusted with BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (index 98.2; US avg = 100). Nominal BLS figures unchanged above.
New York
NY · Structural Iron and Steel Workers
$49.07/hr
Median hourly pay
p25 $39.50p75 $59.93
- Jobs in the city
- 2,300
- Cost-of-living adjustednew
- $43.59/hr
Adjusted with BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (index 112.6; US avg = 100). Nominal BLS figures unchanged above.
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Openings
Find structural iron and steel workers jobs in Raleigh
Job boards carry current openings with posted pay. Use the BLS figures above to judge whether an offer is fair.
Worker pay reports: structural iron and steel workers in Raleigh
Checking for worker-submitted rates…
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Structural Iron and Steel Workers pay questions
Where does Trade Salaries get its pay data?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release: an employer survey covering millions of workers. Worker-submitted figures come from tradespeople who anonymously shared their pay on this site.
What is the difference between median and mean pay?
The median is the middle of the pay scale: half of structural iron and steel workers in Raleigh earn more, half earn less. The mean is the arithmetic average, which a few very high earners can pull upward. When comparing job offers, the median is the more useful number.
What do pay percentiles (p10, p25, p75, p90) mean?
They mark points on the pay scale. Ten percent of workers earn less than p10. A quarter earn less than p25 and a quarter earn more than p75. Ten percent earn more than p90. The p25 to p75 range covers the middle half of workers.
Has structural iron and steel workers pay in Raleigh changed since last year?
The BLS has not published figures for both years for this trade and city combination, so no year-over-year change is shown.
What is a location quotient?
The BLS did not publish a location quotient for this trade and city combination. Location quotients measure how concentrated a trade is locally: above 1.0 means over-represented versus the US average, below 1.0 means under-represented.
How are hourly and annual pay figures related?
BLS annual figures assume full-time, year-round work: 40 hours a week times 52 weeks, or 2,080 hours. The annual number is the hourly rate multiplied by 2,080. Overtime, bonuses, and unpaid time off are not included, so actual take-home pay varies with hours worked.
How current is the pay data?
The official figures are from BLS OEWS May 2025, the latest full release. The BLS publishes new wage data once a year, usually the following spring. Worker-submitted rates update continuously as people add them, and reflect current conditions more quickly than the annual survey.
How do I submit my pay anonymously?
Use the Add your rate form. It takes about 30 seconds and asks for no name, email, or account. Your trade, city, experience, and pay are all you enter. Submissions are reviewed before they appear publicly on the matching rate pages.
How do I become an ironworker in North Carolina?
Through a registered apprenticeship: paid on-the-job training plus classroom instruction, typically lasting several years, with wages that rise as you learn. North Carolina had 13 active ironworker apprentices in FY2024, #40 of 51 jurisdictions (DOL). Search open programs at Apprenticeship.gov.
Do union structural iron and steel workers earn more?
Yes. In 2025, full-time union members in construction and extraction occupations earned a median of $1,561 a week versus $1,004 for nonunion workers, a +55.5% premium. These are national BLS figures; union contracts often add better benefits and overtime rules the wage figures don't capture.
Structural Iron and Steel Workers pay in other cities
How does Raleigh compare nationally? See the 2026 state of trade pay report: fastest-growing wages, biggest city pay premiums, and union gaps, computed from official BLS data.