How much do structural iron and steel workers make?
Structural Iron and Steel Workers earn a median $30.18 an hour ($62,780 a year) nationally, according to BLS OEWS May 2025. The BLS counts 68,380 structural iron and steel workers working in the US. BLS projects about 5,900 structural iron and steel workers openings a year from 2025 to 2035.
National median pay
$30.18/hr
National median annual
$62,780
full-time, 2,080 hrs
25th percentile
$23.98/hr
a quarter earn less
75th percentile
$39.74/hr
a quarter earn more
US employment
68,380
Openings per year
5,900
2025 to 2035
Union wage premium
+55.5%
union vs nonunion
Entry difficulty
Job Zone 2
very little to some preparation needed
Where structural iron and steel workers pay the most
All 25 cities ranked by median hourly pay, from BLS OEWS May 2025. Toggle to cost-of-living adjusted pay to compare what pay is worth in each city. Each row opens the full ironworker page for that city.
Structural Iron and Steel Workers pay by city: highest to lowest median
Median hourly pay in all 25 cities. The top 10 are highlighted.
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.
Industry pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Industries with suppressed BLS figures are not listed.
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 opens that trade's salary hub.
- 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.
Hiring demand
Job openings for structural iron and steel workers
5,900
Projected structural iron and steel workers openings per year nationally, 2025 to 2035. About 5,700 of those replace workers who retire or change occupations; the rest comes from job growth.
BLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035.
Monthly demand signal
Construction hiring trend
8.36M
Construction workers employed in August 2026, up 1.5% from a year earlier.
Buildings (236)
up 1.5%
vs year earlier
Heavy and civil (237)
up 2.3%
vs year earlier
Specialty trades (238)
up 1.3%
vs year earlier
Production and nonsupervisory workers in construction averaged $39.36/hr in August 2026, up 5.0% from a year earlier. Supervisory pay is not included.
These are national construction-industry figures, not structural iron and steel workers-specific. They describe demand, not pay for this trade.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, seasonally adjusted, through August 2026. The latest month is preliminary and subject to revision.
Getting in
How to become ironworker
10,308 active ironworker apprentices nationwide in FY2024, per the Department of Labor. The standard path is a registered apprenticeship: paid on-the-job training plus classroom instruction. States with the most active apprentices:
- California2,947 apprentices
- Texas1,537 apprentices
- Ohio832 apprentices
- Indiana436 apprentices
- Illinois427 apprentices
DOL Registered Apprenticeship, FY2024.
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 and are not published by city. All self-employed workers are excluded. 2025 is an 11-month average (October not collected during the federal shutdown).
Union vs non-union, after taxes
Union vs non-union take-home pay
National union and non-union medians for structural iron and steel workers, run through Boston state taxes.
Union member
$62,096
take-home per year
- Gross
- $81,172/yr
- Effective tax rate
- 23.5%
Non-union
$41,739
take-home per year
- Gross
- $52,208/yr
- Effective tax rate
- 20.1%
Union take-home runs $20,357 a year higher, a +55.5% premium before taxes.
Union figures are national 2025 BLS Current Population Survey medians for “Construction and extraction occupations” ($81,172/yr union vs $52,208/yr non-union, full-time). The CPS publishes no state or city union-earnings figures, so switching cities changes only the state tax calculation. Take-home: 2026 tax year, single filer, standard deduction, federal plus state income tax plus FICA. Estimate.
Tools and reports
More ways to use this data
Frequently asked questions about structural iron and steel workers pay
How do I become an ironworker?
Through a registered apprenticeship: paid on-the-job training plus classroom instruction, typically lasting several years, with wages that rise as you learn. The DOL counted 10,308 active ironworker apprentices nationwide in FY2024. Search open programs at Apprenticeship.gov.
Is becoming an ironworker worth it financially?
structural iron and steel workers earn a median $30.18 an hour nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), with BLS projecting about 5,900 openings a year from 2025 to 2035. Pay varies by city and experience; the city ranking above shows where pay is highest.
Where do structural iron and steel workers earn the most?
Boston, MA pays the most of the 25 cities tracked: a median $58.10 an hour. By industry, Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) pays the most nationally at $56.05 an hour. Both figures are BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
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; contracts often add benefits the wage figures do not capture.
How dangerous is ironworker work?
The BLS has not published a fatal injury rate for structural iron and steel workers as a distinct occupation. The safety section below ranks trades where the BLS does publish rates.
The Paycheck
Know the going rate.
One email a month: the biggest pay moves, new data updates, and one featured city. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.