Occupation salary profile

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

SOC 47-2221 BLS OEWS May 2025

Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings. Excludes “Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers” (47-2171).

National median · BLS
$62,780
▲ +0.13% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$70,280
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
68,380
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$44,580
25th$49,880
Median (50th)$62,780
75th$82,660
90th — top pay$108,260

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Structural Iron and Steel Workers

BLS projects employment of structural iron and steel workers to grow 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 5,900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
68,300 → 70,400
+2,100 jobs
Projected change
+3.1%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
5,900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Apprenticeship
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Structural Iron and Steel Workers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operation and Control3.5
  • Operations Monitoring3.5
  • Coordination3.4
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.0
  • Monitoring3.0
  • Time Management3.0
  • Active Learning2.9
  • Complex Problem Solving2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Building and Construction4.9
  • Public Safety and Security4.3
  • Production and Processing4.2
  • Mechanical4.0
  • Administration and Management3.9
  • Customer and Personal Service3.8
  • Design3.5
  • Engineering and Technology3.3
Software and technology used
Microsoft OutlookCost estimating softwareInventory tracking softwareProject scheduling softwareTurtle Creek Software Goldenseal

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What structural iron and steel workers do

  • Read specifications or blueprints to determine the locations, quantities, or sizes of materials required.
  • Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of structural steel members, using plumb bobs, laser equipment, transits, or levels.
  • Erect metal or precast concrete components for structures, such as buildings, bridges, dams, towers, storage tanks, fences, or highway guard rails.
  • Bolt aligned structural steel members in position for permanent riveting, bolting, or welding into place.
  • Assemble or inspect hoisting equipment or rigging, such as cables, pulleys, or hooks, to move heavy equipment or materials.
  • Lift steel beams, girders, or columns using cranes or forklifts, or by signaling hoisting equipment operators to lift or position structural steel members.
  • Fabricate metal parts, such as steel frames, columns, beams, or girders, according to blueprints or instructions from supervisors.
  • Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts, following blueprints and instructions from supervisors.
Also called
Iron WorkerIronworkerSteel FabricatorSteel WorkerField Iron WorkerSteel ErectorStructural ErectorStructural Steel ErectorTower HandUnion Ironworker
More job titles for this occupation (49)
Billboard ErectorBillboard MechanicBridge IronworkerBridge MaintainerBridgemanBuilding Construction IronworkerConstruction IronworkerErectorGuard Rail InstallerIron ErectorIron Guardrail InstallerIron SetterJoist SetterJourneyman IronworkerLayout WorkerMetal Building AssemblerMetal Building ErectorMetal Buildings AssemblerMetal Tank BuilderMetal Tank ErectorMetal Trim ErectorOil Field Rig BuilderOrnamental Iron ErectorOrnamental IronworkerOrnamental Metal ErectorOrnamental Metal WorkerPlayground Equipment ErectorPre-Engineered Metal Building IronworkerPrecast Concrete IronworkerRebar FabricatorScaffold ErectorSheet IronworkerSign Board ErectorSign ErectorSteel Construction WorkerSteel FitterSteel HangerSteel Layout WorkerSteel RiggerStructural FitterStructural Iron ErectorStructural IronworkerStructural Layout WorkerStructural MechanicStructural Metal WorkerStructural Steel FitterStructural Steel IronworkerStructural Steel WorkerStructural Worker

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.