SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 47-2221.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $44,580 | $3,715 | $857 | $21.43 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $49,880 | $4,157 | $959 | $23.98 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $62,780 | $5,232 | $1,207 | $30.18 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $82,660 | $6,888 | $1,590 | $39.74 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $108,260 | $9,022 | $2,082 | $52.05 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Structural Iron and Steel Workers is $62,780, which is 23% higher. Among the 60 occupations of the field Construction and Extraction, it ranks number 15 by median pay. With 68,380 jobs, it makes up about 4.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($70,280) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Structural Iron and Steel Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Massachusetts ($120,840), New Jersey ($113,220) and Washington ($107,660). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($29,620), Guam ($33,660) and Arkansas ($45,510). The most jobs were in Texas (9,700), California (7,110) and Arizona (3,980). The occupation is most concentrated in Guam, where its share of all jobs is 5.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 2,050 | $120,840 | $113,290 | $58.10 |
| New Jersey | 1,060 | $113,220 | $112,660 | $54.43 |
| Washington | 850 | $107,660 | $98,300 | $51.76 |
| Illinois | 2,740 | $101,850 | $98,680 | $48.97 |
| Hawaii | 290 | $99,860 | $96,620 | $48.01 |
| Rhode Island | 360 | $98,320 | $89,740 | $47.27 |
| Oregon | 570 | $96,050 | $89,260 | $46.18 |
| Minnesota | 910 | $95,320 | $92,680 | $45.83 |
| Wisconsin | 710 | $92,820 | $85,460 | $44.63 |
| New York | 2,700 | $92,610 | $92,830 | $44.52 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,610 | $82,970 | $83,980 | $39.89 |
| North Dakota | 270 | $82,120 | $77,890 | $39.48 |
| Missouri | 1,320 | $77,410 | $71,910 | $37.22 |
| Iowa | not published | $77,400 | $73,110 | $37.21 |
| Alaska | 120 | $76,970 | $81,450 | $37.01 |
| California | 7,110 | $76,370 | $80,920 | $36.72 |
| Ohio | 2,290 | $74,710 | $72,700 | $35.92 |
| Idaho | 500 | $72,750 | $68,020 | $34.98 |
| West Virginia | 150 | $71,850 | $67,180 | $34.54 |
| Maryland | 710 | $71,730 | $68,310 | $34.49 |
| Indiana | 2,750 | $70,130 | $70,590 | $33.72 |
| Louisiana | 1,180 | $68,830 | $62,830 | $33.09 |
| Montana | 130 | $67,390 | $64,530 | $32.40 |
| Nebraska | 610 | $65,470 | $64,390 | $31.48 |
| Kentucky | 990 | $64,060 | $66,980 | $30.80 |
| Michigan | 1,750 | $62,830 | $63,580 | $30.21 |
| Nevada | 1,400 | $62,510 | $73,740 | $30.05 |
| Connecticut | 330 | $62,400 | $68,500 | $30.00 |
| Maine | 200 | $61,750 | $64,350 | $29.69 |
| District of Columbia | 210 | $61,240 | $69,290 | $29.44 |
| Virginia | 2,300 | $60,260 | $59,520 | $28.97 |
| New Hampshire | 220 | $59,920 | $60,430 | $28.81 |
| Delaware | 90 | $59,820 | $59,350 | $28.76 |
| Arizona | 3,980 | $59,390 | $62,360 | $28.55 |
| Colorado | 860 | $58,830 | $61,010 | $28.28 |
| Kansas | 260 | $58,560 | $59,310 | $28.15 |
| Utah | 1,630 | $58,250 | $56,670 | $28.01 |
| South Dakota | 440 | $57,050 | $56,500 | $27.43 |
| Tennessee | 1,240 | $56,750 | $58,090 | $27.29 |
| Alabama | 1,740 | $56,640 | $53,970 | $27.23 |
| Florida | 2,730 | $55,700 | $55,720 | $26.78 |
| Vermont | 50 | $55,640 | $59,500 | $26.75 |
| Texas | 9,700 | $52,240 | $56,740 | $25.12 |
| South Carolina | 660 | $50,750 | $52,760 | $24.40 |
| Mississippi | 480 | $50,690 | $51,580 | $24.37 |
| North Carolina | 2,000 | $48,740 | $53,250 | $23.43 |
| Georgia | 980 | $48,090 | $52,500 | $23.12 |
| Oklahoma | 1,140 | $47,660 | $51,200 | $22.92 |
| Wyoming | 80 | $47,480 | $50,500 | $22.83 |
| Arkansas | 1,080 | $45,510 | $46,020 | $21.88 |
| Guam | 150 | $33,660 | $36,420 | $16.19 |
| Puerto Rico | 160 | $29,620 | $30,620 | $14.24 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas$67,890 a year
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- Electricians$63,190 a year
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- Continuous Mining Machine Operators$61,810 a year
- Sheet Metal Workers$61,800 a year
Common questions
How much do Structural Iron and Steel Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $62,780 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,580 and the highest-paid 10% more than $108,260.
How many people work as Structural Iron and Steel Workers?
About 68,380 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.