What is the salary and career path for a structural ironworker?
Structural ironworkers are counted under Structural Iron and Steel Workers, SOC 47-2221 — a close match that also takes in ornamental and pre-engineered metal building erectors — with an OEWS May 2025 median of $62,780 a year ($30.18 an hour) and a range from $44,580 at the 10th percentile to $108,260 at the 90th. BLS projects 4.4% growth for 2024–2034 and about 5,500 openings a year. The route in is a three- to four-year registered apprenticeship, usually with an Iron Workers local or a steel erection contractor; no state issues an individual ironworker licence, but the work is governed tightly by OSHA 1926 subpart R for steel erection and subpart M for fall protection, and by AWS D1.1 when field welding is involved. It is one of the higher-fatality construction trades, and the safety training is not a formality.
- Structural Ironworkers earn a national median $62,780/yr ($30.18/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2221); the top 10% clear $108,260.
- Entry is a three- to four-year registered ironworker apprenticeship, paid from the start; no state licenses ironworkers as individuals.
- BLS projects 4.4% growth 2024–34 with about 5,500 openings a year, tied to commercial, industrial and bridge construction.
- Pay rises through connecting, AWS D1.1 welding certification, travel work and finally raising-gang foreman or erection superintendent.
Career Path
How do you become a structural ironworker?
Ironworker apprentice
Working the ground, rigging loads, bolting up and learning the hook; first-period apprentices earn near the SOC 47-2221 10th percentile of $44,580.
Journeyman structural ironworker
Connecting, plumbing and bolting steel frames and running decking, around the $62,780 national median for the code.
Connector / certified field welder
Connecting at height and AWS D1.1-qualified field welding on bridge and high-rise steel pay toward the 75th percentile of $82,660.
Raising-gang foreman or erection superintendent
Running raising gangs, sequencing erection and coordinating cranes reaches the 90th percentile at $108,260.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays structural ironworkers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2221. National median: $62,780. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does structural ironworker pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles structural ironworkers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: structural ironworkers rank 2 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +4.4% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly structural ironworkers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2221 (structural ironworkers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do structural ironworkers need?
A three- to four-year U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship through an Iron Workers local or steel erector, ending in journeyman status; there is no individual state licence. See all state licences →
American Welding Society structural steel welding qualification, tested to a written procedure; required for field welding on most structural and bridge steel.
OSHA 1926 subpart CC requires employer-qualified riggers for assembly and hoisting and qualified signalpersons for crane operations — routine daily roles for ironworkers.
Steel erection is governed by OSHA 1926 subpart R, with fall protection under subpart M; the trade's fatality rate makes competent-person training a hard requirement, not a formality.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do structural ironworkers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 47-2221
Salary Levers
How do structural ironworkers earn above the $62,780 BLS median?
Union scale and high-rise work
Iron Workers agreements on high-rise and bridge steel are the biggest single reason the range runs $44,580 to $108,260
Connector position and field welding certification
Connecting and AWS D1.1 qualification push earnings toward the $82,660 seventy-fifth percentile
Travel, per diem and shutdown schedules
Erection crews follow the work, and travel pay plus long pour- and outage-driven weeks widen the gap above the median
Foreman and erection superintendent roles
Sequencing the raising gang and coordinating cranes is what reaches the $108,260 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a structural ironworker worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2221. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Structural Ironworker Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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